Winds and Shadows
by Kylarkallana
Summary: Complete! Rated for last chapter! Jin's half sister appears in Ningenkai in search of her brother. She meets up with an old friend and some new adventures ensue.
1. Disclaimer

Yay it's happy fun disclaimer time!!!!! Then we can go to DisneyWorld!!!!!!! Just kidding. Well about the Disney World thing and that the disclaimer is happy and fun.  
  
Ok, just so we're all clear, I don't own shit. Any character that sounds remotely familiar, probably belongs to someone else. Corana is MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE!!! (And no I was not an only child.)  
  
Anyways, I would also like to advertise for two of my other stories: This Is Going to Hurt and I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face. I've had some good feedback on those. If you're really bored, you can read Keeper of the Elements, but I'm not too fond of it honestly. I'm only going to finish it for those who demanded it of me. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this one! (  
  
Oh and as always, these little things ~~ mean a thought.  
  
I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this story yet, so if anyone has any suggestions they're most welcome. I usually don't like starting a story without at least knowing what I'm going to do with it, but I kinda liked what I had so far so I thought I'd at least post that much.  
  
~The Great and All Powerful Authoress~ 


	2. An Old Acquaintance and Some Ramen

~Chapter 1~  
~An Old Acquaintance and Some Ramen~  
  
Kurama glanced up at the boy who sat down next to him and then did a double take. First, the boy was a young woman and second, something about her big blue eyes was familiar. She was wearing the boy's uniform and had black hair bobbed short with two long locks on either side in the front. The professor entered and began taking attendance.  
  
"Chiisai Corana." The professor called.  
  
"Hai!" the girl answered.  
  
~Corana?!~ Kurama thought incredulously. "Corana?" He hissed disbelievingly. Her head whipped around to study him, her brow furrowed. Her eyes widened in recognition.  
  
"It can't be." She hissed back. "Youko?!" It was her turn to be incredulous. "I thought you were dead!"  
  
"Chiisai! Minamino!" The professor barked. "Shall I separate you two?"  
  
"Gomen." They both replied and turned their attention back to the front of the room.  
  
'After class.' Corana mouthed. Kurama nodded.  
  
The lesson seemed to drag on forever. Kurama could tell by the glazed look in Corana's eyes that she wasn't finding the class anymore riveting than he was. They were finally dismissed and the two raced out into the heat of the day. Corana started removing the black over jacket that was part of the guy's uniform, revealing a plain black wife beater. (A/N: I hate using the word wife-beater, so whenever anyone wears a tank top, that's what they're wearing unless I describe it as otherwise.)  
  
"Shimatta. Ningens are a sadistic bunch aren't they?" She grimaced, stripping off the jacket.  
  
Kurama chuckled. "So what brings you here?" he asked.  
  
Corana shrugged. "Thought I'd see if I could find Jin again. We split ways about 50 years ago; I thought it was about time to look him up again. How did YOU end up like THIS?" she giggled.  
  
"Well I almost died and I became the unborn human child of a woman here in Ningenkai. I could have gone back after 10 years, but things happened and I eventually decided I liked being this way." He replied.  
  
Corana grinned. "You always were a strange one kitsune."  
  
"This coming from the freak of the century." Kurama countered. Corana stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"Where are we going?" She asked, realizing they'd been wandering aimlessly through the streets of Tokyo.  
  
Kurama looked around. "I thought you knew." Corana shook her head and started laughing. Kurama smiled. "Well I have some friends I'm supposed to meet for lunch if you'd like to come along." Kurama offered.  
  
Corana shrugged. "Sure."  
  
He led the way to a nearly empty ramen shop and up to the only people in the establishment. "Everyone, I would like you to meet Corana. She's an old acquaintance of mine from Makai." Corana looked sharply at Youko at the mention of Makai. "Corana, this is Keiko, Kuwabara, Botan, and Yusuke."  
  
"EEP!" At the mention of the last two, Corana ducked behind Kurama and peeked out from a gap she made between his elbow and his side. "Please don't make me go back." She mumbled pitifully, looking at Botan and Yusuke with her big blue eyes.  
  
Kurama laughed at her. "I'll vouch for you." He promised.  
  
She stepped out from behind him, glancing uncertainly from the four seated to Kurama. The four were trying not to laugh at the uncertain demon.  
  
"Relax." Yusuke grinned, stretching. "It's my day off." Corana grinned and the four made room for she and Kurama to sit. Corana sat next to Botan who began to strike up a friendly yet entirely guileless conversation as only Botan can.  
  
"So what is an S-class demon doing in Ningenkai?" She asked.  
  
"The wind is nice here." Corana replied with a soft smile. "And the sun." she grinned.  
  
Botan blinked. "You came here for nature?"  
  
Corana nodded. "I'm not a very aggressive person." Kurama began cough-laughing. "What?" Corana demanded.  
  
"That's not what Kuronue told me." He replied with a grin.  
  
Corana returned his grin. "My sexual prowess has nothing to do with my general intent towards mankind." She replied airily. The other four turned to stare at her.  
  
"Maybe it's better not to investigate THAT topic any further." Botan said.  
  
Corana grinned. "Suit yourself. Back to your question. I can promise you, I do not seek to control ningens or Ningenkai in anyway. I quite frankly don't see the point. I have no desire for power over others."  
  
"It doesn't stop one from noticing you are a fighter." Yusuke pointed out.  
  
Corana looked steadily at him. "Everyone in Makai is a fighter. If you don't fight, you die. And I don't deny that I enjoy a good fight every once in awhile, but I despise killing. Most of the ningens here would die from a few punches, so I have no desire to fight them." She shrugged. Their food was served and she began to eat.  
  
"If it weren't against my honor code to fight women, I could show you a good fight." Kuwabara boasted.  
  
Corana snorted. "Baka. It is stupid to discriminate against an opponent based on gender. Also, you would not last ten minutes in a match against me."  
  
Kuwabara laughed. "You're so tiny! Don't even give me that."  
  
Corana sat back and smirked. "I believe there is a popular ningen saying, it's not the size that counts, it's how you use it."  
  
The four blinked and then Yusuke let out an appreciative laugh. "Good one!" He shouted, banging his hand on the table until Keiko slapped him.  
  
"You are such a pervert sometimes!" She shouted.  
  
Yusuke rubbed his cheek and glowered. Kurama chuckled at the way his lively friend was being received.  
  
"So what kind of demon are you?" Keiko asked.  
  
"Geeze. You guys sure talk about this stuff freely." Corana blinked, and looked around to see if anyone was listening. When she saw no one paying attention to them she answered. "I'm half shadow, quarter wind, and quarter earth. However, my abilities remain in the wind and shadow part of my nature."  
  
"You're all sorts of crazy. And here we thought Hiei was a mutt." Yusuke laughed.  
  
Corana smirked. "Yes. One of the reasons I was nearly killed at birth. So who's this Hiei?" She asked. That successfully took the attention off of herself and the group spent the rest of the meal telling her about themselves and having swordfights with their chopsticks.  
  
They parted ways after lunch. Kurama and Corana heading in one direction to their apartments, Keiko, Yusuke, and Kuwabara heading in the other, and Botan heading back to the Spirit World. Kurama walked Corana to her door and continued on to his own. He was almost home when he got fed up. "Hiei, just come down here and talk if you have something to say." Kurama sighed.  
  
Hiei appeared next to him. "Hn."  
  
They walked in silence for awhile. "What is it Hiei?" Kurama asked calmly.  
  
"Who's the girl?" Hiei asked casually.  
  
"Corana. An old acquaintance of mine from my Youko days." He replied.  
  
"Hn. She was hiding her mind." Hiei told him darkly.  
  
"I'm sure she has her reasons." Kurama shrugged. "She always does."  
  
"Hn."  
  
*****  
  
Corana sighed in relief as she closed her door. She let go of her illusion that made her look like a ningen. Her ears lengthened to a fine point, her hair became a dark blue, she grew fangs, and a black shimmery wave swept across her skin at random intervals. She'd almost broken the illusion on the streets with that jerk trying to poke into her head every five minutes.  
  
"Damn Jiganshi." She muttered and went to her refrigerator. Only one thing would cheer her up now. "Ice cream." She sighed happily and stood trying to decide which carton. She settled on her favorite; Double fudge brownie. (A/N: Anyone who hasn't had double fudge brownie ice cream, you're missing out! It is seriously the best ever!!)  
  
*****  
  
Botan entered Koenma's office. "I just encountered and S-Class demon in Ningenkai." She informed him.  
  
"Her name wouldn't happen to be Corana by any chance?" Koenma replied.  
  
Botan blinked and nodded.  
  
"Yes I am quite aware of her presence." Koenma told his ferry girl. "Her dislike of killing has left her with many enemies in Makai and her records are admirable enough to leave her be. Besides, now she owes me a favor for letting her stay. She may yet prove useful in some way." 


	3. Winds and Shadows

~Chapter 2~  
~Winds and Shadows~  
  
Corana got bored with Ningen University in a handful of days and informed Kurama she wouldn't be going back.  
  
"Why?" He asked.  
  
"It bores me." She shrugged. "Besides, it takes away from the time I can spend sleeping." She grinned impudently.  
  
"You're hopeless." Kurama shook his head.  
  
"YOU've changed." Corana countered. "Time was when Youko wouldn't be caught dead following rules and orders." She grinned.  
  
"Yes well I'm hardly Youko anymore." Kurama said a bit defensively.  
  
Corana laughed. "It suits you. The way you are now. But you are still very much Youko. Even I can see that."  
  
Kurama didn't know why that statement made him so uncomfortable. Ever since he'd decided to put the debaucheries of Youko behind him, he was almost ashamed of many of the things he'd said and done. Corana picked up on his unease and straightened. She looked at him seriously. "You can't spend your life feeling guilty for the past. All you can do is learn and move on. No one's a saint Kurama. Apologize maybe, but never regret." Kurama noticed a sadness in her eyes he'd never seen before.  
  
~She pities me.~ Kurama thought sourly. "I should leave now." He said evenly and rose.  
  
"Ja ne." Corana said uncertainly. He nodded and left.  
  
Corana sighed sadly. She'd been lonely since Jin had left and spending the last few days with Kurama had helped ease that loneliness. "Now you've gone and alienated the one person who may have understood you." She muttered unhappily to herself. She got up and grabbed a jacket and headed to the park.  
  
******  
  
Hiei opened one eye when he heard someone walking slowly closer to him. He peeked down from his tree branch and saw the girl Kurama had been hanging around with for the last few days. He watched her closely as she walked. She looked sad. Her black hair reflected the moonlight as she shuffled along, eyes to the ground. She stopped halfway across the bridge that spanned a small pond and rested her elbows on the railing, looking out at the full moon's reflection in the shimmering water.  
  
Corana lifted her face to the moon as a light breeze ruffled her hair. Hiei saw a look of peace cross her face and then heard her low murmur echo over the water. "No I am not alone am I? I will never be alone as long as you're here." Hiei watched as the wind and shadow seemed to envelope her in a soothing embrace before continuing on their ways. "Wind and shadow." He heard her sigh. "Such are all things in life I suppose. Just the winds and shadows of our minds."  
  
She stood a bit longer watching the moon before turning back to go home. Hiei frowned at her retreating figure and then shrugged and fell asleep again. 


	4. Sparring

~Chapter 3~  
~Sparring~  
  
Two days later, Corana ran into Yusuke and Keiko while grocery shopping.  
  
"No! I am not going to feed your little friend's addiction forever!" Keiko was standing firm.  
  
"What's up guys?" Corana grinned.  
  
"Keiko won't let me buy ice cream for Hiei, but he gets cranky with me when we don't have it." Yusuke grimaced.  
  
Corana laughed. "You're a big baby Yusuke. Tell Hiei he can come to my place. I always have ice cream. I'm a bit of an addict." She started for the ice cream freezer.  
  
"He likes chocolate best." Yusuke offered.  
  
Corana chuckled. "We'll get along famously then."  
  
"I don't think many people get along famously with Hiei." Keiko grinned.  
  
"We're sparring later today. You're welcome to join." Yusuke said to Corana.  
  
"Sounds great!" Corana grinned as she loaded an eighth carton into her cart. "Where?"  
  
Yusuke gave her directions and they parted ways.  
  
Hiei was the first to notice her arrival to Genkai's temple. He noticed a look of peace settle over her entire frame.  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara came out to greet her, dressed for fighting. They took an appreciative glance at her yoga pants that fit snugly over her butt and thighs and a tight black sports tank top.  
  
Corana smiled at the two boys. "How could you even think of fighting here?" She asked quietly. "It's so peaceful."  
  
"Oh we don't fight at the temple." Yusuke assured her. "This is more of a gathering point. We move out to the swamps to fight."  
  
She nodded her understanding. Kurama exited the temple dressed in his white fighting outfit. "Are we ready?" He asked Yusuke. Yusuke nodded. "Good. Let's go then." He completely ignored Corana.  
  
Hiei jumped down from his tree and landed in front of Corana. She smiled a small smile. "You must be the Hiei I've heard so much about."  
  
"Hn." He nodded. "Corana?" she nodded and that seemed to satisfy him. "Yusuke said I can eat your ice cream. Is that true?"  
  
Corana tried not to laugh as she nodded. She didn't think Hiei would react very well to being laughed at.  
  
After a short walk, they reached the swamps. They drew names as two who would get to fight and Kurama and Corana were drawn. Corana studied Kurama for a moment and pulled two sheaths of daggers out of her bag and strapped one to each leg.  
  
Kurama smirked and the other three moved out of their way. Kurama dashed at Corana and started trying to land kicks and punches on the tiny demon. She was able to draw a dagger in time to deflect a death seed from hitting her chest. She leapt back and stared at Kurama in surprise. "Why the hostility?" She asked.  
  
"You dare try and pity me." He snarled in a low voice.  
  
Corana smirked. "My my my Youko aren't we conceited. Tell me why YOU would deserve MY pity." Corana was glaring now.  
  
Kurama pulled a rose from his hair and summoned his rose whip. "I saw the look in your eyes that night. To me it looked like pity."  
  
"Why would I pity you?!" Corana was frustrated while dodging his whip and deflecting it with her daggers. "You're intelligent, good- looking, you have friends who would give their lives for you, you have a mother who loves you unconditionally, you're strong, powerful." She deflected each attack between descriptions and started to make a few attacks of her own. She crushed his hand with the hilt of her dagger and he dropped his whip. "Tell me. What do I have?" She held him firmly, dagger at his throat. "A brother who's too ashamed of me to admit he's related and barely enough skills to get by. Don't think for a minute I pity you. Pity is against my nature." She released him. "Envy on the other hand, is an entirely different story." She whispered and walked back to the other three.  
  
There was an uneasy silence until Corana sighed. "Who fights next?" She prompted Yusuke to pull some names. It was Yusuke and Kuwabara.  
  
Kurama sat down next to Corana while Yusuke and Kuwabara walked further away to face off. "Gomen nasai." He said quietly.  
  
"Forget it." Corana grunted. She turned and smiled at him. "I can't believe you'd get mad over something so stupid."  
  
"Hn." Hiei grunted. "You want to see something stupid, watch Kuwabara fight."  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara started out with fists. Kuwabara was obviously no match for the spirit detective and they moved to spirit attacks very quickly.  
  
Corana chuckled. "Great, so baka's spirit attack is an erection." Hiei and Kurama looked at her in surprise. (A/N: Am I the only one who sees how incredibly perverted Kuwabara's attack is??? Ok. Maybe I just need to get my head out of the gutter.) When Kuwabara made his spirit sword grow, Corana burst out into full blown hysterics. "Come on you two!! Don't tell me I'm the only one who sees how perverted that looks!" Corana gasped, wiping tears from her eyes, still laughing.  
  
Kurama chuckled. "You do have a point." He admitted.  
  
Hiei merely smirked. "Hn." And kept his eyes on the fight.  
  
"Yay!" Corana yelled. "I dragged two to the gutter with me! That fills my quota for the week."  
  
Kurama and Hiei both raised eyebrows at her, but Corana's attention was back to the fight. Yusuke knocked Kuwabara out with a well-placed kick to the head and the fight ended.  
  
"It seems Kuwabara will be doing no more sparring today." Kurama commented mildly.  
  
"A shame." Hiei replied unconvincingly. "Detective, two more names."  
  
Hiei and Corana. Corana removed her daggers and took two short swords out of her bag.  
  
"How many weapons do you have in there?" Yusuke asked.  
  
"That's it. I like sharp shiny things." She grinned.  
  
Hiei faced her and removed his cloak, revealing his bare chest. Corana stared in appreciation at the smooth musculature, but shook her head of the distraction when Hiei drew his katana. For 15 minutes, all the others could see was two black blurs and flashing blades. Three swords flew away from the blurs and they broke apart, panting. Hiei began to form a fireball in his hands and launched it at Corana. Corana then did something completely unexpected. She knew she didn't have the time to dodge the fireball so she took her only other option. She became a shadow. The three conscious men saw her nearly disappear, but a gray figure replaced her just as the fireball ripped through it.  
  
"God that feels weird!" They heard her voice giggle. The gray figure soared over their heads and her body materialized behind some bushes, her head and shoulders were visible, and bare. She received more stares. "Um.could someone bring me my clothes?" She asked, blushing a little under their scrutiny. The boys looked back to the fight and saw a pile of clothes where Corana had been standing.  
  
Hiei picked them up and walked over to the bushes.  
  
"No! Hiei!" Yusuke called. "Make her come out and get them!"  
  
"Baka." Hiei muttered and threw Corana her clothes and she dressed swiftly.  
  
"So what was that you just did?" Kurama asked.  
  
"My shadow form. I become completely insubstantial of course, that means anything on my falls right through me so I don't use it too much. I can't attack in that form. It's merely an evasion maneuver." She replied. She walked up to Yusuke and kicked him in the groin. "That's for your brilliant plan baka." She growled. Yusuke lay clutching his groin.  
  
"It'll never happen again." He gasped.  
  
"I should hope not." She smirked.  
  
Yusuke and Kurama fought after Yusuke had sufficiently recovered from Corana's kick. Followed by Yusuke and Hiei, then Hiei and Kurama, and finally Corana and Yusuke. The four sore and tired fighters no had to drag Kuwabara's dead weight back to the temple. They took turns dragging him.  
  
"We should just leave him here and let him get all confused as to how he got here." Hiei grumbled when they were about halfway home.  
  
Corana giggled but Kurama and Yusuke insisted on returning him to the temple.  
  
"They never let me have any fun." Corana heard Hiei grumble softly. He caught her eye when he heard her soft chuckle and smirked. 


	5. Ice Cream

~Chapter 4~  
~Ice Cream~  
  
Hiei appeared about 10 minutes after Corana got home and immediately walked to her freezer.  
  
"Yusuke's female has been trying to cut me off." He grumbled, sitting down with an entire carton.  
  
Corana shrugged and grabbed a carton for herself. "Yeah. I guess girls get that way sometimes. I wouldn't really know. I've always gotten along well with those of intelligence."  
  
"You'll hate Kuwabara then." Hiei shrugged.  
  
"Well that's two things we'll have in common then." She grinned at the fire demon. "You were the Jaganshi that was trying to peek into my head the other day aren't you?"  
  
Hiei nodded. "I'd never seen you before and you were hanging around my best friend. What are your intentions?"  
  
Corana blinked and giggled. "I've never had an interest in Youko. I tend to go for darker guys and besides, I've never found a kitsune that was worthy of being my mate."  
  
"There's nothing wrong with Kurama." Hiei shrugged. "Most of the stupid ningens seem to like him and he's got enough fans in Makai."  
  
Corana shrugged. "Yes well, looks and popularity aren't my only criteria for a mate."  
  
"You're strange."  
  
"Compared to many of the other female demons yes." She grinned. "Shit compared to many other demons period I am. But as you see, I am SO bothered by that."  
  
"I think you are." Hiei smirked.  
  
"You just think you're so smart." Corana smirked back.  
  
"So what are you doing here?" Hiei asked.  
  
"What I'm feeding you ice cream so now you need my life story?" Corana rolled her eyes.  
  
Hiei shrugged. "Kurama's always after me to be polite and make conversation. Thought I was doing that. Fine. Have it your way." Hiei took her carton of ice cream and spoon and leapt out of her window.  
  
"HEY! Bring back my ICE CREAM you CREEP!!!" Corana shouted out the window to his speedily retreating back. "Damn." She muttered to herself when he had melted into the shadows. "That was my favorite flavor too."  
  
A/N: Hey guys sorry for the short chapter. I've been kinda stuck on this story recently. I didn't really know where it was going when I started it so I have no idea how to end it. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm game. LoL. Anyways, I thought this was at least a fun chapter if anything. Review if you feel like it. It's my birthday tomorrow (Feb. 19). You can look at as giving me a birthday present. *chibi eyes* 


	6. Info on Corana

~Chapter 5~  
~Info on Corana~  
  
A/N: Things surrounded by these things ~~ are thoughts. Enjoy!  
  
Hiei dropped into Kurama's apartment, ice cream and spoon in hand.  
  
"I see you've been to Yusuke's." Kurama commented drily.  
  
"No. His female's cut me off. Corana said she'd give me ice cream." Hiei munched happily on the frozen treat, perched precariously on the end of Kurama's bed and thinking rather contentedly of his get away.  
  
"And why did you take her spoon?" Kurama smirked.  
  
"She's incredibly insolent and secretive." Hiei shrugged.  
  
"Great revenge Hiei. Stealing the flatware." Kurama chuckled.  
  
"She wouldn't tell me why she was here." Hiei sniffed defensively.  
  
"Chances are she was just joking around. If you'd waited five minutes she would have told you." Kurama returned his attention to the paper he was working on.  
  
"That makes no sense." Hiei shook his head and took a comforting bite of ice cream.  
  
Kurama sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "That's just the way she operates. You'll get used to it."  
  
"Do YOU know what she's doing here?" Hiei asked.  
  
"Looking for someone. Her half-brother. She hasn't seen him in about fifty eyars and lost track of his whereabouts." Kurama replied absently.  
  
"Do we know her brother?" Hiei knew Kurama was leaking out information in tantalizing tidbits on purpose. ~That fox just loves knowing things other don't.~  
  
"Yeah. Sure. It's Jin."  
  
Hiei dropped his spoon. "Hyper, red haired, Wind master Jin?" he asked, hoping Kurama's answer would be no.  
  
"That's the one."  
  
~Damn.~ "He's really annoying." Hiei said outloud.  
  
Kurama shrugged. "I like him well enough. But she's not supposed to know that he's her brother or something. She figured it out awhile back, but he still won't admit it to her for some reason." Kurama shrugged. "I really don't understand brothers and sisters." Kurama smirked at Hiei.  
  
"Hn." Hiei had finished his ice cream and rose.  
  
"You coming to Genkai's tomorrow for the picnic?" Kurama asked before Hiei leapt out the window.  
  
"I may make an appearance." Hiei replied cryptically before fading into the night.  
  
The next day Kurama walked to Corana's apartment to return her spoon.  
  
"Here. Hiei left this at my place."  
  
"Thanks Kurama. He's quite impatient isn't he?" she grinned.  
  
"So you were going to tell him?" Kurama smirked.  
  
"Tell him? I was going to enlist the aid of his Jagan eye." Corana grinned. "I take it you filled him in."  
  
"Just the basics. I'm on my way to Genkai's Temple for a picnic. Would you like to come?" Kurama offered.  
  
"Are you sure it's ok?" Corana asked uncertainly.  
  
"It'll just be Botan, Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara, Yukina, myself, and possibly Hiei. I'm sure you'd be welcome." Kurama assured her.  
  
"Ok. Just let me make something to bring." Corana nodded and rushed to her cabinets. She made a quick batch of brownies and the two of them were off to Genkai's.  
  
Hiei had in fact decided to make an appearance, but spent most of the picnic in a tree glaring at Kuwabara. His glare became directed at Corana as she threw chunks of brownie up at him.  
  
"Hey gloomy. What's with the hostility? He's stupid, but he's leaving you alone." Corana grinned impishly, indicating Kuwabara.  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Oh THAT was descriptive sweetheart. How's about you come on down here? I wanna ask you a favor." She put on her best puppy dog pout and started whining, "please" until Hiei gave in with an exasperated sigh and roll of his eyes. As he got up to leap down, Yusuke spotted something.  
  
"Hey what's that?!" he shouted pointing at....  
  
A/N: MUAHAHAHAHA I'm evil. Sorry for the cliffie (not really) I've had a lot of people leaving tacky cliffies for me so I'm going to leave one for you. I'll have the next chapter up shortly. The more reviews I get, the quicker I get the next installment up. ;) So review if you want to find out what happens. 


	7. It's a Bird! It's a Plane!

~Chapter 6~  
~It's a bird! It's a plane!~  
  
A/N: Ok you have permission to tar and feather me. I've been horrible, leaving that cliffie and then being too busy to write and post another chapter. Thanks to everyone for the reviews and I'm sorry to leave ya'll hanging for so long!!  
  
Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing. A giant tornado had formed and was speeding across the meadow.  
  
"Oh shit! It's headed right for us!" Yusuke grabbed Keiko's hand and everyone sped away from the direction of the oncoming twister. Well, everyone except Corana. She whooped in joy and went flying directly towards the cyclone.  
  
"She seems awfully excited." Kuwabara commented intelligently.  
  
"Well she is part wind demon. That kind of thing could be like Disney World for her!" Kurama shouted as he too sped away from the approaching tornado.  
  
Their efforts were all in vain, however, as each of them were soon deposited in trees around the meadow. Well, Kuwabara was deposited in a mud puddle, but same difference neh?  
  
There was a loud thud and "Oof!" and a squeal of delight from Corana. "JIN!!!!!"  
  
The others extricated themselves from their trees and puddles to see Corana pinning a slightly disgruntled, but nonetheless pleased, Wind Master to the ground.  
  
"What are you doing here?" They asked each other in unison.  
  
"Looking for you!" They replied simultaneously.  
  
"How'd you find me?" Corana asked.  
  
"That short fellow. Hiei. Came and found me and told me ye were lookin' for me and that'd ye'd be here today." Jin explained.  
  
"Hiei?" Corana was, well, shocked, but Jin nodded emphatically. Corana grinned at the tiny fire demon and flew up to where he'd resumed a perch on a branch.  
  
"Thanks so much Hiei!" Corana moved to hug him, but Hiei seeing it coming dodged quickly.  
  
"Oh no! No hugs! I would have never done it if I knew you'd try to hug me." Hiei shuddered.  
  
Corana giggled and stuck her tongue out at him. "Whatever darlin." And she flew back down to Jin who had now picked himself up from where his sibling had tackled him. It was no wonder Corana had figured out they were related. They had the same big blue eyes, the same wiggling ears, and the same jaunty fang sticking out over their bottom lip. Corana was just about two feet shorter than her half brother.  
  
"So what have you been up to?" They asked each other simultaneously.  
  
What followed was some of the fastest, most heavily accented English any of them had ever heard as the two caught up in a span of all of 10 minutes. When they had apparently finished, they each took a deep breath and lay back on the grass, smiling happily up at the sky.  
  
"I've missed you Jin." Corana said softly.  
  
"I can't always be around Cor." Jin replied seriously.  
  
"I know but it was fifty years Jin. Fifty years." She looked genuinely hurt. "You raised me and you're all I have in the world."  
  
"That's not true. You have Urimeshi and them now." Jin shrugged. "You've got a good thing going up here. Stay."  
  
"We had a good thing going back there too." Corana shrugged.  
  
"One day we're gonna have to move on with our lives. We can't be the dynamic duo forever." Jin looked seriously at his sister.  
  
"Why not?" Corana pressed.  
  
"Well eventually, you'll go off and have a family and I'll go off and have a family and we'll only be seein each other seldom. The clan needs me now too and they'd never let you in." Jin wouldn't look at her in the eye.  
  
Corana was tempted to push him into telling her why they couldn't have a family together. Instead she just got angry. "Fuck the clan!!! Fuck them all! They have each other! Fuck Fuck Fuck!"  
  
"Quite a mouth on her." Kurama commented drily. Hiei nodded.  
  
"I don't have anyone Jin! I need you!" Corana was crying now and Jin quite frankly didn't know how to react. "Nothing you can say about your precious clan will make me sympathize with you. They would have left me for dead same as my mother's so FUCK THEM ALL!!!!" she had gotten up now and was standing with her back to her brother. "Maybe you should have just left me too." She added in a silent voice.  
Jin jumped up and forced his sister to look at him. "Don't you EVER say anything like that again! I don't know what you've been through half your life, but the best thing I ever did was pull you out of that water."  
  
"Hn." Corana laughed humorlessly. "Right. I've done nothing but get in your way it seems." Her blue eyes had turned cold and she pushed off the ground angrily, wrenching her arm away from her brother, only to find herself face to face with Hiei.  
  
"It's pointless to walk out on this argument." He commented calmly.  
  
"Stay out of my way Hiei!" Corana sent a blast of wind into the fire demon that sent him flying out of her way, narrowly missing a tree. Before anyone else could react, she had flown out of sight.  
  
A/N: Damn, I didn't mean to make this thing that dark. Yeah so she was being a bit melodramatic. I felt a need for some conflict and I think this satisfied it for a time. Looks like they've both dug themselves a hole, or I dug them both a hole however you choose to look at it. Anyways, really sorry about the delay in the update. I've just been mad busy. Hope you like it! 


	8. Well Isn't She a Bit Bi Polar?

~Chapter 7~  
~Well Isn't She a Bit Bi-Polar?~  
  
Hiei followed Corana. Not for any concern for her well-being, but because he was pissed. She'd attacked him! For no reason! He dropped down into the clearing where she was venting her anger and frustration.  
  
"Go 'way Hiei." Corana mumbled, wiping her face.  
  
"No." Hiei snarled. "You had no right to attack me."  
  
Corana chuckled a low, dangerous laugh. "That was no attack Hiei. That was a warning."  
  
Hiei didn't let her say anymore, he landed the first punch. "Just because you feel like throwing a little tantrum, does not give you the right to attack me." Corana stumbled back, but his advantage didn't last long.  
  
Corana sent him flying into a tree with a blast of wind. Well actually, it was more like through a tree, but same difference neh?  
  
Hiei picked himself back up and launched himself at Corana. They were locked in a tussle with fists flying. Hiei gained the advantage and pinned Corana down and raised his fist for another punch.  
  
"GET OFF MY SISTER!!!" A fist connected with the side of Hiei's head and he went flying again.  
  
Corana just lay where she was and stared up at Jin. Jin seemed to realize what he'd said, well, a bit too late. "Jin?" Corana said hesitantly. "Is it true?"  
  
"I didn't want to tell you. Thought you'd be ashamed. You were always stronger than me once you learned your powers." Jin mumbled.  
  
"I thought YOU were ashamed of ME." Corana laughed a little. "How could I be ashamed of you? Jin? The Wind Master? The Shinobi?"  
  
Jin chuckled. "Guess we were both a little foolish."  
  
"You've never spoken a truer word." Hiei grumbled. He was still relatively pissed, but at least Jin's attack had been warranted.  
  
Corana's mood seemed to upswing dramatically. In no time she was soaring around the clearing and flying around Jin. "I have a brother!" She was laughing ecstatically.  
  
"Well Urimeshi and the others'll probably be wantin' to get back to their picnic. I'd better get going." Jin spoke a little sullenly.  
  
Corana's ears drooped immediately and she landed softly in front of Jin. "Can't you at least stay for a little while? A few days?" she pleaded.  
  
"I'm sorry Cor. But I can't. We've been under attack for three days now. I have to get back to fighting." Jin sighed.  
  
"By who? Who's been attacking the clan? I'll come help. If I help they'll have to accept me right?" Corana was already formulating plans of heroic triumph.  
  
"They'll never accept you Cor. You know that. They'll just use you and throw you out again. I don't want to see that happen again." Jin shook his head sadly.  
  
Corana drooped again. "Fine. You're right. I may as well give up where they're involved. Just. Promise to come back and see me when that mess is sorted out." Corana stamped her foot vehemently. "Or I won't let you leave." She was joking on that last one, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"Of course I'll come back. A week at the most." Jin nodded and took off into the air. "See ya soon!" and he was gone. 


	9. The Tsutomegi Gang

~Chapter 8~  
~The Tsutomegi Gang~  
  
A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed this little story. I appreciate your support. Also to give you a little hint into the following chapter, Tsutomegi is Japanese for Mercenary Spirit. Enjoy the rest of the chapter! (  
  
Corana waited anxiously for her brother to return to her in Ningenkai. She refused to leave Genkai's because that was the place he was most likely to come back to. A week passed and Corana became worried for her brother's safety. No word had come from him. After two, Corana had decided to go look for him.  
  
Corana was packing her bag for her trip into Makai when a familiar raven dropped a letter into her open satchel. "What do you want?" Corana grunted.  
  
"What a way to welcome an old friend." The raven changed into a tall demon with silky black hair and fully black eyes, no pupils, no whites.  
  
"You were never a friend Kurokami. I see you are still running errands for Odei." (A/N: Odei means dirty mud. It's an insult to a mud demon.) Corana continued packing, tossing the letter to the floor.  
  
"You may not want to throw that away so carelessly Chiisai Hikage." (little shadow) Kurokami sneered. "It pertains to your brother afterall. And if you want to be rid of me, you shall read it. I was ordered to wait for a response."  
  
"You're such a lackey." Corana sighed, keeping up a façade of unconcern, though what they knew about Jin had her itching to read the letter. "Why did you stay?" She asked casually, still packing her bag.  
  
"Corana, we were not all like you." Kurokami oozed. "You had no desire for torture and pain and death. We loved it. The relationship was not meant to last dear girl." He grinned a malicious grin, baring his fangs.  
  
"You're probably right. Don't know why I got into the mercenary business in the first place." Corana shrugged with an easy grin.  
  
"Just open the letter girl." Kurokami hissed.  
  
Corana immediately had a dagger to his throat. "You watch the girl crap ok? I'm not above killing the messenger. You know that." She hissed softly and was rewarded with the satisfaction of seeing a glimmer of fear cross his face. She nicked his neck with the dagger; drawing blood and making him swallow convulsively. Corana finished packing and picked up the letter. She opened it and read it swiftly and anger surged through her. She threw the note at Kurokami. "You may tell your master that I am coming to kill you all." She hissed. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Deikazan was sitting comfortably in his throne, contemplating how his letter was being received by his former boss. He couldn't wait to see the look of pain and anger on her face right as she stormed in here and right before he killed her. He felt a breeze that had a familiar energy to it; similar to the stupid demon he had locked up downstairs. Jin had gotten cocky and that had been the error that allowed for his capture. An object flew through the window and landed in his lap. He recognized the silken black hair and the black eyes as those of his lover and servant Kurokami. It was his head with a dagger piercing right between his now vacant and lifeless eyes. Deikazan dropped it in disgust. She had taken irreversibly the one thing that mattered to him. He would make her suffer before he granted her death. He screamed an anguished sound that echoed across the Makai. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Corana was on her way to the Makai, when Hiei popped up. "Koenma needs to see you."  
  
"Tell Koenma to kiss my ass. I'm on a rescue mission." Corana pushed her way past Hiei. Hiei hit her in the back of the head, knocking her out and carrying her to Koenma.  
  
"What'd you do that for Hiei?" Yusuke demanded, when Hiei walked into Koenma's office with Corana slung over his shoulder. She'd obviously been dressed for fighting when Hiei had intercepted her. She wore black loose pants, bound from the knee down by white bandages that ended in her black fighting shoes. Her arms were wrapped in bandages from knuckle to elbow and she wore a black loose fitting top that right now was creeping further and further over her head, exposing more and more of what shouldn't be exposed, especially not in front of Yusuke.  
  
Koenma rolled his eyes. "Hiei, put her down before Yusuke loses all concentration in hoping that her chest will be revealed."  
  
Hiei blinked, just realizing what was happening to her shirt and dumped her rather unceremoniously on the ground. The jolt seemed to snap her too however because she groaned and a hand moved to her head. "Fuck Hiei. Was that absolutely necessary?"  
  
"Hn."  
  
"You really need to cut out the "hn" shit. It's getting annoying." Corana was obviously a little ticked in general. "Now why have you felt it necessary to delay me in my mission to get my brother back?" Corana turned to Koenma.  
  
"We just wanted to let you know what happened to him and where to find him." Koenma shrugged. "and give you the opportunity to receive help from the Spirit Detectives."  
  
"Thanks but I don't need it. You're a little slow on the up chuck Koenma." Corana tossed him the note she'd received.  
  
"Oh dear. What can you tell me about this Deikazan?" Koenma asked her.  
  
"He's a mutt demon a lot like me. Half water half earth and so I call him a mud demon. Years ago, we started a little group of cast aways who had been ostracized because of our mixed heritage. As our powers grew and we realized we were stronger than most, we started up a mercenary business. Mostly bodyguard shit, some use in wars, and just all in all random dirty work. Well after awhile, instead of asking strong mutt demons to join us, Odei decided he would kidnap and force them to work for him. When he refused to listen to me, I left. A few of the strongest demons that had followed me came with when I left and I think he was seriously insulted by the subversion. That and now he was missing some of the strongest demons in Makai. The ones that followed me chose to go it alone rather than follow that idiot. I'm not too current on his present situation and activities, however." Corana shrugged.  
  
"And yet you're ready to go in there alone with no information?" Kurama asked, baffled.  
  
"He's underestimated me. It's been 200 years since we worked together and he thinks I haven't gotten any stronger." Corana smirked.  
  
"But he probably has as well." Yusuke scratched his head.  
  
"Probably, but he was weaker than me to begin with. Even if he's trained twice as hard as I have, he's stupider and slower and it takes that much longer for him to learn things than it does for me. That and he's probably going to have every lackey on the way up attack me to at least weaken me. He's a coward and he's lazy. He'll keep out of the way until he has no choice but to face me." Corana's eyes had taken on a cold gleam of anticipation.  
  
"How was this letter sent?" Koenma asked warily.  
  
"Kurokami. His lover brought it to me. He was ordered to await a response." Corana grinned mirthlessly, and all those gathered shivered involuntarily.  
  
"What was your response?" Kuwabara asked nervously.  
  
"I returned Kurokami's head to him with a dagger plunged between his eyes." Corana had that same mirthless smile plastered on her face.  
  
Yusuke made a disgusted noise.  
  
"You forget you are dealing with demons Yusuke." Corana looked at him squarely. "We have a certain flare for the grotesque. I will accept help from those willing to give it, but I will not demand it and nor should you Koenma. This is a dangerous group and most of them are probably under some form of control. I won't have anyone else be put at risk for Jin and my sakes. The more people that go in, the more I have to watch over." Corana shrugged. "If anyone's coming, I'm leaving now. I've wasted enough time." 


	10. Entering the Mercenary's Castle

~Chapter 9~  
~Entering the Mercenary's Castle~  
  
The four had chosen to go with Corana, not believing that any demons were really strong enough to take on the four of them. They were approaching the castle from the North when Corana halted them. Her eyes went completely black and they saw a curtain of shadow engulf the castle. Screams could be heard from the lower levels, but a defiant, maniacal laughter broke through the gloom to reach Corana's ears. Her eyes returned to their normal bright blue and she growled at the laugh.  
  
"Corana?" Yusuke started.  
  
She snapped out of it and turned to him. "We should have less resistance now." That was all she said and she continued on towards the castle. The others had no choice but to follow her.  
  
Upon entering the front gate, they saw two guards lying in pools of their own blood, their wrists slit.  
  
"What happened?" Kuwabara shuddered.  
  
"They committed suicide." Corana replied emotionally. "With the aid of a nightmare or two that encouraged them."  
  
This was not the usually happy but somewhat temperamental Corana they'd all come to know. She had become a ruthless killer with a single goal and no one would stop her from attaining it.  
  
"Yusuke, Kuwabara." Corana turned to the two. "Take this map and follow it to the dungeons. Release anyone kept there. Kill the doctors and the guards." Corana ordered. "If you find anyone wearing this device..." Corana displayed a collar radiating a peculiar energy. "Lock them in the dungeon. I will take care of it when I finish with Odei. That device is controlling their actions. Do not harm them if you can avoid it. Kurama, go with them. I do not need much help getting to the top, but they may need you." Corana went to move ahead.  
  
"But Corana.." Yusuke started.  
  
"Go. You can at least help those held hostage here. Hiei will be with me. I have need of him. Do not argue with me. We don't have the time." Corana then moved ahead without waiting for a response from the others. Hiei followed her, curious as to what part she wished him to play.  
  
"What do you need me for?" Hiei asked.  
  
"I will need you to read Deikazan's mind to see how to release the collars. I do not know their secret, but I accidentally killed someone by taking one off." Corana replied. "That way at least if I die, someone knows how to release them."  
  
"You are not so certain you will succeed?"  
  
"Not entirely. Like Kurama said, I have no knowledge of Odei's present power." Corana admitted.  
  
They continued their advance in silence. "Someone's coming." Hiei announced.  
  
Corana nodded and made ready to fight.  
  
"Well hello there Corana. It's been awhile." A cold female voice greeted them from the shadows. The demon materialized to reveal a slightly built female with long, luxuriant red hair to her waist and striking green eyes.  
  
"Hizeme." Corana nodded curtly. "You seem to be doing well. Too bad it's not for much longer." She drew two daggers.  
  
Hizeme plucked a single strand of hair from her head and it transformed into a flaming whip. She immediately started attacking. She followed Corana into the air with a burst of wind energy and the two of them fought relentlessly, both demonesses baring their fangs and snarling at each other.  
  
"You could never stand being shunted to the side could you Hizeme?" Corana snarled. "You never stood a chance with Deikazan. You knew that. Kami took up all his time."  
  
"Ah. But you took care of that problem for me Corana." She snarled back. "Now with Kami out of the way and soon I shall kill you and Deikazan shall be all mine."  
  
"You always were a stubborn one." Corana chuckled as she landed a blow with the hilt of her dagger to the back of Hizeme's head. The demon fell to the ground with a thud. She lifted her head weakly and started to rise again.  
  
"I will defeat you." Hizeme snarled at Corana.  
  
"Not today." Corana replied and slit the girl's throat.  
  
A/N: OK thank you A Random Passing Gerudo for the demoness Hizeme. For those of you who were curious, Hizeme means torture by fire. Thanks for all those who've reviewed and keep sending in those demons! Ja! 


	11. More Obstacles

~Chapter 10~  
~More Obstacles~  
  
A/N: Ok all the demons in this chapter, other than those we already know, like Corana and Hiei, were donated by Flame Fox. Flame thanks for all the suggestions! It was so hard to choose, but I did choose three! You should feel so proud. I'm doing a whole chapter on fights with your demons! You just had some really great thorough ideas! Thanks so much!  
  
Corana and Hiei ascended to the next level only to be met by yet another demon. This time she appeared to be a fox.  
  
"Flame Fox." Corana nodded.  
  
"Ah! Corana! Come to take back what you left so willingly all that time ago?" The demoness had shoulder length orange hair with matching fox ears and gold eyes. There was a mask covering her mouth and nose that actually came out of her skin itself and she was dressed in black from head to toe.  
  
"Is that what Odei's been telling you?" Corana smirked. "It's amazing you can still work for someone who lies as much as that asshole."  
  
"DEIKAZAN..." Flame Fox stressed the name. "Has never lied to us." She protested.  
  
Corana made a snort of disbelieving disgust. "Yeah and my name's Yusuke Urimeshi." Corana rolled her eyes and swiftly drew her short swords and dashed at the fox with no warning.  
  
Flame fox had barely enough time to dodge the attack and the swords still managed to knick her face and tear her sleeve. She landed from her dodge and growled at Corana.  
  
"You are only trying to trick me to avoid killing me. It won't work. Not this time." She pierced her wrist with a gold dagger and pulled a black rose from the blood. Corana just stood back watching idly as it dropped and formed a shadow monster as it hit the floor.  
  
"You are fool twice over if you think some shadow monster can defeat me." Corana smirked. Her eyes went completely black and the monster stopped in its attack of Hiei. Instead it turned on its creator and her screams pierced the night as she was destroyed by her own attack.  
  
Corana sighed, sadly. "She used to be one of my greatest supporters too. You'd think she'd know better." She closed the demoness' eyes for her and they moved on.  
  
They were met next by a giggle. Hovering above them were to angel spirits. ~hmm... I don't know these two.~ Corana thought. ~They're too young.~  
  
"No you don't know us." The angel sporting chin length blue hair and large blue eyes giggled. Both their angel wings were crimson. The one who had spoken was wearing a full-length kimono with a slit up the right side all the way to the hip and long stockings underneath. "I'm Sapphire and this is my sister Ruby. We're run aways. Although she's great with fire and I'm good with water, we work best together." She giggled. Ruby had crimson hair that reached well past her shoulders that matched her wings perfectly. Her eyes were the same blue as the heart of a fire. She wore a red kimono with the sides missing and shorts underneath. Sapphire giggled again. "Ooo! You brought a cute one with you." She flew down and got in Hiei's face. "I can't wait to see what his blood looks like." She giggled again and flew back up to her sister. "What say you sis? Should we make this quick?" Ruby just nodded and they both folded their hands and triangles began to form infront of them.  
  
"That giggle is really getting annoying." Hiei muttered.  
  
Corana nodded. "I have to confess something Hiei. I don't know what these two are capable of. They're too young." She replied.  
  
Hiei blinked at her. "That's just great." He replied. "I should have gone with Urimeshi."  
  
Corana chuckled a bit. The triangles had finished forming and the angels shot them at Corana. She was trapped inside a prism. Both she and Hiei blinked in confusion. Then blue flames sprouted from the bottom, burning Corana's feet.  
  
"Shit!" She swore and began to think fast. If there was fire there had to be air to fuel it and if there was air, she could control it and get out of here. Corana began to gather wind to her and soon the energy inside the prism was so much that I burst, freeing Corana. The sisters were stunned. Ruby recovered first and started flying around behind them to shoot arrows of fire at them as a distraction so her sister could shoot a bubble at Hiei that would engulf him and eventually suffocate him. Corana saw the bubble coming. "HIEI! JUMP!" Was all she had time to yell. He listened however and the bubble sailed straight into Ruby who was trapped in it. As Sapphire stood there shocked, Hiei drew his katana and killed her. They left Ruby trapped inside the bubble to suffocate and continued on.  
  
The third demon they met on that level chuckled from the shadows. "It's been a long time old friend."  
  
A wolf demon stepped from the shadows. Well he was mostly wolf demon. Everyone knew he was a quarter human but he didn't talk about the other side of his nature. He had light brown hair streaked with black and matching wolf ears. His hair was shaggy and hung in his eyes and down to about the middle of his neck. His eyes were a warm amber. He was dressed head to toe in loose, soft blacks and browns. Corana grinned in recognition. "Neko." She said fondly. "What are you doing back here? You left when I did."  
  
"I had nowhere else to go." He shrugged. "Is it true you're attempting a hostile take over with nothing but this fire demon as aid?"  
  
"This fire demon is Mukuro's heir Hiei. You've probably heard of him." Indeed, Neko had, for his eyes had widened. "No I'm not attempting a take over. Odei took my brother and I'm here to get him back."  
  
Neko's eyes widened again. "You have a brother?"  
  
"Yeah. Red hair, blue eyes, wind demon. Probably brought in a few days ago." Corana elaborated.  
  
"Oh! Jin! He's your brother?" Neko asked.  
  
"Aren't you two supposed to be fighting yet?" Hiei was getting bored.  
  
Neko laughed. "I do have to fight you. I can't risk going out in the wild again." He shrugged apologetically.  
  
"What if I say you can have this castle when I'm finished with Odei?" Corana countered.  
  
"What if you die before killing him? Then I'm screwed." Neko shrugged.  
  
"I won't die before killing him. I just won't it's that simple." Corana replied coldly. She slit her hand with a dagger and held it out. "I've never broken a promise. Especially not one made in blood."  
  
Neko slit his own hand with his claw and clasped hers. "Now let's see about getting me a castle." He grinned.  
  
A/N: I hope you like what I did with your characters. If not you're free to yell at me. Neko really spoke to me for some reason. He just seemed a lot like Corana and I thought adding him to the party could be totally cool. Now he'll make all sorts of random appearances. Perhaps I'll even write a sequel to this story and he'll have a part in there too. I just really liked him. Plus he sounds really hot right now neh? LoL. Anyways. Thanks for all the demons! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! 


	12. To the Third Level

~Chapter 11~  
~To the Third Level~  
  
"You should not have come back here Corana." A voice hissed in the darkness.  
  
"Ah...the snake that destroyed Eden. You couldn't kill me then. What makes you think you can now Usugoori?" Corana smirked.  
  
"I do not have to kill you. Only delay and weaken you." The voice materialized a body from the gloom. The creature was covered head to toe in shimmering silver scales. His eyes were red. They glowed briefly for a moment and Corana's and Hiei's feet were covered in ice and frozen to the floor.  
  
Corana chuckled, trying not to show her fear. "I don't need to move to kill you snake." She drew two daggers and let them fly, the snake dodged, but Corana used her wind energy to make the knives follow the snake.  
  
While Corana was distracting the snake demon, Hiei melted his own feet and struck from behind with his katana, decapitating the creature. Corana called her knives back and resheathed them.  
  
"That was too easy." Hiei smirked and turned to walk away.  
  
"Um..Hiei?" Corana giggled. "A little help?" Her feet were still frozen in ice.  
  
He blinked and then smirked and walked over and released her feet. "Thanks." Corana nodded.  
  
"Hn." Was Hiei's characteristic response.  
  
They continued on in silence.  
  
They had ascended to the third level before they met the next creature sent to bar their way. She did not greet them the way the snake had. She merely sang. Hiei gradually felt himself drawn to the sound. Corana had heard one note and plugged her ears. It was Keisei  
  
"HIEI! Don't listen! She's a siren!!! HIEI!!!" Corana was losing the little fire demon to the voice of the monster.  
  
It was difficult for Corana to try to attack the demon and still keep her ears covered and not be drawn to the demoness' voice. She took the best route. She ran with her ears plugged at the woman. The demoness had the head and torso of a beautiful woman, but her lower body was just a giant mouth meant to swallow its victims. At the last possible moment, Corana drew her short swords and sliced the demon into three pieces. She cut off its head and then severed the mouth like lower body.  
  
Hiei blinked as he came back to himself and cringed as he saw the monster that had lured him so far. Corana just shrugged and continued walking. "It's not like you knew."  
  
A/N: Wow I'm just pouring out the updates! LoL. Thanks to everyone who's reading this. In case you haven't been able to tell, I'm enjoying writing these fight scenes immensely. And for the curious reader, Usugoori means thin ice or danger and Keisei means siren. Wow a siren named siren aren't I creative? Lol. Anyways, keep those reviews comin! Still looking for a few more good demons. Have to go up a few more levels. 


	13. Let's Check on the Others, Shall We?

~Chapter 12~  
~Let's Check In on the Others Shall We?~  
  
While Corana and Hiei are fighting through demons on the second and third floors, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama are making their way further into the depths of the castle.  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara had originally been arguing over how to read the map Corana had given them until Kurama stepped in and took it from them, all of a sudden understanding why she had sent him with the humans.  
  
The guards they should have encountered were all in the same condition as those they had seen at the gate. It seemed that weaker minded demons easily succumbed to Corana's Shadow of Nightmares as Kurama had dubbed it. As they got deeper they met more and more demons being controlled by the collars Corana had displayed. They were quickly defeated and knocked out and deposited in a cell. Many of the uncontrolled demons were still unwilling to accept the help of humans so they stayed in the cells they were trapped in as well. Other demons however, couldn't wait to get their hands on the scientists attempting to control them all.  
  
Kurama teamed up with one particularly vengeful Ice Fox. She seemed bent on revenge. Her hair was a silver blue reaching to her waist with matching ears and tail and ice blue eyes. When Kurama inquired as to her name she simply replied "Arctic." Her clothes had once been varying shades of white and blue, but now were soiled with the filth of the dungeon.  
  
Following by scent and sense, the two kitsunes tracked out the first of the doctors. She formed an ice sword with her right hand and killed the doctor upon entering his lab. She smiled a satisfied smile and Kurama actually heard her purr.  
  
~Youko would be attracted to her.~ Kurama chuckled inwardly. ~You're right.~ Youko replied in his head. ~You should let me out.~ Kurama blinked. ~Sorry buddy. I don't think so.~ was his reply. ~Damn.~ Youko sulked and quit bothering him for the time being.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Arctic asked, giving him a funny look.  
  
"Pardon?" Kurama feigned innocence.  
  
"Your eyes were flashing yellow and you were definitely not paying attention to finding the scientists." She replied.  
  
"I must apologize. It seems I was day dreaming." Kurama covered. "I believe the next one is this way." He pointed left after sniffing the air for a moment. ~Yeah right. Day dreaming.~ Youko chuckled. ~Shut UP!~ Kurama demanded.  
  
The two foxes continued the extermination of the dungeon, returning every so often to Yusuke and Kuwabara with a controlled demon.  
  
Kuwabara and Yusuke had really nothing better to do than stand around and talk.  
  
"So how do you think Hiei and Corana are doing?" Kuwabara asked.  
  
"Probably having all the fun." Yusuke pouted. "I mean come on it's Hiei and Corana. They won't have a problem getting to the guy." Yusuke shrugged.  
  
"But what if they're too weak to fight once they get there?" Kuwabara asked, concerned.  
  
"I don't really see that happening. Corana isn't planning on backing down until she gets Jin back or dies trying." Yusuke replied. "And Hiei's never backed down from a challenge. You know that. No. They'll come out alive or not at all."  
  
"Then what do we do?" Kuwabara shrugged.  
  
"Well, once the foxes are done exterminating the basement, I think we should just go ahead upstairs and follow them." Yusuke grinned. "I'm not gonna just lay around down here, and not know anything that's going on."  
  
"That's an excellent idea Yusuke." Kurama spoke from behind him. "We've finished the last of the scientists." He threw an unconscious demon into an empty cell. "And the last of the controlled demons. Shall we?" He turned and walked back towards the stairs leading up. Arctic followed behind him and Yusuke and Kuwabara followed them. They left the other demons that had offered their services to guard the cells.  
  
"We'll be back soon!" Yusuke called over his shoulder.  
  
A/N: Like those three would sit around waiting on the others to fight! LoL and yes Flame Fox. I used another one of your demons. And yes I made her good. Sorry if you wanted her to be evil. You just gave me so many well developed characters that I just can't help but throw a few in there every now and then! Thanks again! Oh! And thanks for that song! It's great. I'm gonna try and work it in in the next few chapters! 


	14. The Raging Battle Between Good and Evil

~Chapter 13~  
~The Raging Battle of Good and Evil~  
  
"Corana..." The voice was silky smooth as its owner materialized from the shadows.  
  
Corana knew this demoness. It was Darktydes. A tormented mutt of Wolf and Unicorn heritage, she was constantly battling both the good and evil in her nature. No one side would let the other take over. She was struck with blood lust and was consumed by guilt whenever it took over. She looke almost like a full-blood wolf demon. She had black hair with wolf ears perched atop her head. A black horn protruded from her forehead. Her eyes were so dark blue that they appeared to be black. Her fangs were not as sharp as those of a full-blooded wolf demon and neither were her claws. Her feet however were actually the cloven hooves of a Unicorn. She was dressed in a long hooded cape dragging to the ground in an attempt to hide the hooves that Corana already knew were there. Beneath the cloak, was a simple storm gray grown with billowed sleeves. The dress bunched around her waist and the skirt trailed nearly to the ground, not quite covering her hooves.  
  
"Darktydes." Corana nodded and attacked quickly. She had no time to lose her soul to the schizophrenic demon, just to have it returned and taken away again.  
  
Darktydes had anticipated Corana's movement, but instead of attacking her, she attacked Hiei. She formed a ball of white light and blue mist and sent it hurtling at the tiny fire demon before he could dodge it.  
  
"HIEI!!!!!" Corana cried in panic. His eyes had already gone blank before his body even hit the floor. Corana's tears were flowing freely. "Hiei..." She gasped, before turning back to Darktydes, anger increasing her strength. She stopped when she saw Darktydes' tears.  
  
"Oh Corana! I'm sorry!" She shuddered and Hiei's soul was released and went soaring back to his body. "Please." Darktydes begged. "My whole existence has been a battle." She sobbed. "Just kill me. I don't want to cause anymore pain...Please!" Her voice had taken on a hint of desperation. "Before I turn dark again....PLEASE!"  
  
Corana nodded and before Darktydes' tears could create her signature protective mist, Corana had embedded a dagger into the girl's heart. A look of peace settled over the tormented demoness as she slid to the ground with a final whispered "Thank you."  
  
Corana just nodded as tears dripped down her face and she closed the girl's eyes.  
  
Neko shook his head. "She'll be happier now." He told her.  
  
"Why must the children suffer for the sins of the parents?" Corana muttered as she turned away from the still form of Darktydes. "WHY?!" She hit the wall with resounding force in her anger and frustration.  
  
Hiei had begun to stir. "Asking why is useless." He muttered. "But I'd like to know what just happened." He coughed weakly.  
  
Corana snapped up and ran to him and hugged him. "Are you sure you're ok Hiei?"  
  
"Dizzy and confused. Stop hugging me! What happened?" He pushed her away.  
  
"Darktydes took your soul and then gave it back and then I killed her." Corana replied cryptically.  
  
"Why'd she give it back?" Hiei asked, just slightly confused.  
  
"You need to understand Darktydes to understand why." Neko began. "She was half wolf demon, half unicorn and shunned by her mother until Darktydes eventually killed her in a fit of rage. Her entire life has been a constant battle between her Unicorn nature and her Wolf Demon nature. Always battling between the side that lusts for blood and the side that only wants to help. She is capable of great destruction and great healing. You just happened to receive both in the course of about five minutes." Neko grinned down at the fire demon.  
  
"Hn. Death was a mercy for her then." Hiei nodded.  
  
Corana had chosen to ignore them both and continued walking. They realized this and hurried to join her.  
  
***  
"HIEI!!!!!" Kurama, Yusuke, Arctic, and Kuwabara heard Corana's muffled, distant scream. They had just passed the body of the first demon the two had destroyed, Hizeme.  
  
"Come on! It sounds like they're in trouble! We have to hurry!" Yusuke urged the others on and up the stairs to the second level.  
  
A/N: OK Issa! Thanks so much for Darktydes! She was so tragic and dramatic...I just ate up her character! Hope you like what I did with her. If you don't and have a better suggestion, just let me know you. You know where to reach me! 


	15. The Purging of Darktydes

Oh my God! Thank you EVERYONE for all the nice reviews! This story has turned into my baby and I'm so fucking proud of it right now it's ridiculous! You guys have been more than awesome. Thank you Issa for all the cool ideas with Darktydes. She totally rocks thank you so much for letting me use her! Thank you Flame Fox again for the insane amounts of demons! I may use the rest of them if others don't start giving me a few more so I can finish this part of the story. I mean I want Corana to freakin get hurt BEFORE getting to Deikazan. It would only be realistic. I mean how many demons has she fought up to this point? I dunno. I lost track and I wrote the bloody thing. So just a few more people...like maybe three. But like I said I could always use Flame Fox's hundred demons...but you don't want her to take all the credit do you? LoL...And Kade...yes of course you are awesome..I think you've reviewed almost every chapter of all my stories and for that I thank you! Wow this was a long authors rant. Ok, now I'm going to get back to the story. Crap...I forgot what chapter I was on...be right back....Ok I'm back! On to Chapter 14! And this will be a short one and it's out of order since I'm temporarily out of demons, but still want to write updates. Hiei, Neko, and Corana are in the upper levels by now fighting who knows what demons. I haven't written them yet so no one really knows. This is basically describing the journey thus far of Yusuke and the others.  
  
~Chapter 14~  
~The Purging of Darktydes~  
  
The four companions ran past Flame Fox, pausing only to note that she was dead. Then they passed the sisters. Ruby was still breathing weakly in the bubble she'd been sealed in.  
  
"Please..." She hissed. "Help me out of here..." her voice was barely audible.  
  
"Did Corana do this to you?" Kurama demanded. Ruby nodded her head. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Arctic all turned their backs and continued walking.  
  
They rushed past the mutilated corpse of the siren, Kuwabara pausing long enough to comment on its level of grotesqueness. Then they came upon the body of the snake demon Usugoori again the just made sure it was dead before moving on.  
  
The next body they came across was that of Darktydes'. They were moving past her when her body began to glow. The dagger embedded in her chest pushed out. Her hooves and claws turned a metallic blue silver, her hair turned golden as did her horn and her wolf ears had turned white and there was a light golden eight point star visible at the base of her horn. As the glow subsided, she caught a sudden breath and her eye lids fluttered open to reveal sky blue orbs.  
  
She turned her head and saw the strangers and hauled herself unsteadily to her feet, picking up Corana's dagger. "I cannot allow you to hinder Corana's progress." She said shakily.  
"Then why did she kill you?" Yusuke asked.  
  
"She purged my soul. My demon half has been tamed forever, although I shall always have the guilt of its actions." The woman spoke sadly.  
  
"Well we're friends of hers so there's no sense in trying to hinder us." Kurama spoke reasonably. "However you are welcome to come with us to aid her."  
  
"You are friends?" The half Unicorn asked warily. When they nodded she nodded back. "Very well. I shall accompany you. Perhaps my healing powers will be of some use."  
  
With that, the now five companions continued on their way, following the trail of carcasses Corana and Hiei had left behind them. 


	16. The Black Widower

~Chapter 15~  
~The Black Widower~  
  
A/N: Wow you guys make it a pleasure to open my email every day...Well actually your praise has gotten me so happy I'm checking it even more often than that. LOL..yes I'm a nerd! No I do not care. Anyways, this demon was donated by a certain Rina Mitsui. Thanks for the demon Rina and I hope all you readers enjoy!  
  
The three demons kept walking cautiously through the castle. It'd been awhile since they'd encountered any demons and they knew SOMEthing nasty had to be waiting on them.  
  
Corana being the leader, walked right into the trap, unable to see or sense the strings of youki that barred their way. "Get Back!" She yelled at the other two. "Be careful!"  
  
"What's wrong?" Hiei demanded.  
  
"I'm stuck. Like I'm in some kind of giant-"  
  
"Spiderweb?" a silky smooth masculine voice interrupted her.  
  
Their next opponent came down from the ceiling and landed between Corana and her two companions. "My my...haven't we caught a tasty morsel." He practically purred at Corana. He was dressed in a black trench coat left open to reveal his bare stomach that had a red hourglass mark on it. His pants and shoes were also black.  
  
She growled and bit at him, being essentially helpless. "Who the fuck are you?" She demanded.  
  
"Oh my! Where are my manners?" he replied in a voice dripping with fake concern. "My name is Imoureym. And I shall kill you now." He chuckled low and created a thin strand of webbing that he circled around Corana's throat and began to choke her with.  
  
"A...little help..boys.." She grunted.  
  
Neko was the first to react and he tackled the spider hanyou and raised his claws for the kill, but the hanyou used a blast of those invisible youki strings that blew him back and fastened him tightly to the wall.  
  
During the distraction, Corana had used spirit energy to burn through the strings, much in the same way Yusuke had against Rando though probably more controlled. She fell to the ground panting.  
  
"Oh so you want to have a little fun before you die?" Imoureym chuckled. "Fine. I'm up for a game." He disappeared to the ceiling. "See if you can find me before I kill you." His voice echoed.  
  
Corana growled in the direction of the ceiling. "Coward! You must be weak to need traps and evasion to fight us. I will not be killed by such a weak thing as you." The answer he gave was a lashing of his webbing across her stomach, just a scratch enough to start bleeding.  
  
"I will not tolerate insolence from my food. Watch what you say if you wish to live longer." His voice echoed again.  
  
"Hiei." Corana hissed. "Can you sense anything?"  
  
Hiei removed his bandana for the first time since arriving and his Jagan glowed green.  
  
"My my my. Isn't that a well-kept secret?" Imoureym chuckled and sent a lashing of webbing straight for the Jagan.  
  
Corana, anticipating an attack on Hiei's Jagan, dashed infront of him and received the brunt of the attack right through her left shoulder blade. She gritted her teeth against the pain and her threw her eyes ceilingward, sending her awareness to place their adversary.  
  
Finally, she pinpointed him as he sent another lashing out, this time toward Neko. A well-thrown dagger deflected the brunt of the attack and his shoulder was merely grazed. Blood was flowing freely from Corana's shoulder and the scratch on her stomach had begun to itch as the blood dried. She needed to end this fast. He'd stopped again, this time aiming another attack at Corana. She and Hiei both leapt out of the way and the attack left a hole in the floor.  
  
~It seems he needs to stop in order to attack.~ Corana thought to herself. The next time she felt him stop, she wasted no time getting air born. She saw the look of surprise on his face as she swung her short sword and severed his head from his neck. Both pieces fell to the floor. The strings holding Neko to the wall disappeared and he fell to the floor. Corana landed heavily and taking off the bandages on her left hand, she wrapped them around her shoulder.  
  
"Will you be ok to continue?" Neko asked concerned, whether for his own future prospects or for her actual well being who knows.  
  
Corana gritted her fangs and nodded. "I don't have a choice now do I?" Came her curt reply as she led the way onward and upward. She'd used up too much energy breaking through the web and this shoulder would hinder her, but she HAD to get to Jin. She just HAD to. ******  
The weakened Darktydes hindered Yusuke and the gang. Their progress became slow, as they had to halt often for her to rest. Apparently, the purging and the dying and coming back to life, really takes a lot out of a soul. Everyone felt the constraints of time and soon Kuwabara was assigned to carry Darktydes so the group wouldn't fall too far behind.  
  
Both parties were creeping closer and closer to their goal. But could they make it in time for the Wind Master?  
  
A/N: LOL...wow I'm just on a roll today. That last sentence really sounds like something the tacky announcer for Yu Yu Hakusho would say. I didn't even mean to write something like that, but now it's kinda funny to me. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this installment of my fic! Our heroines and heroes are almost to Deikazan. I have grand plans for THAT installment. All I can say is ya'll are gonna hate me. Oh and Rina! I changed the red hourglass on the black shirt to actually being like a birthmark on his skin. I just thought it sounded a bit cooler. Feel free to yell at me if you hate it. 


	17. One Jerk, One Ally, and One Freak

~Chapter 16~  
~One Jerk, One Ally, and One Freak~  
  
A/N: I LOVE your demons Kade! Just LOVE 'em! I'm so glad you like that I brought Darktydes back. That was Issa's idea and it was so cool I just had to do it. Manwich is a classic and you can bet your ass I'll be using him here! Anyways, final chapter before the big fight scene! Enjoy!  
  
They continued onward until a dagger was thrown out of nowhere. "Sorry. My aim is bad." A male voice apologized smoothly. "It was supposed to go right between shorty's three eyes."  
  
"Hm...I'm going to have to guess Vai?" Corana rolled her eyes.  
  
"Hm...I'm going to have to guess...you want to die?" he replied with a maniacal chuckle as he walked from the shadows. He stood about five and a half feet tall. He had short white hair with bangs that hung over his ice blue eyes. He was dressed in a dark blue cloak over black pants.  
  
"Can I hurry up and kill him?" Hiei sighed.  
  
"Be my guest Hiei. He hates heat." Corana shrugged and leaned back against the wall.  
  
"Oh don't think I won't attack you, just because you're not attacking me." Corana had to dodge the knife thrown at her. Ice sprouted where it fell.  
  
He continued to throw knives of ice at all the companions and they had to dodge quickly to avoid them.  
  
Hiei was getting irritated and we all know what happens when Hiei gets irritated. You've seen the shows. He powered up his Fists of Mortal Flame and attacked the haughty ice demon.  
  
Vai screamed in pain as the flames engulfed his body and he was reduced to ashes.  
  
"Hn. Pathetic." Hiei shook his head.  
  
"Odei must be running out of minions." Corana replied. That must mean we're almost there.  
  
As if on cue, Jin's pain wracked voice came echoing down the hallway.  
  
******  
Jin had heard the faint sounds of his sister fighting. ~She's coming for me.~ He sent the only clue of his presence he knew how to give. For some reason, a ningen song he'd heard once while hanging around Urimeshi came into his head and he started to sing it. Last fire will rise Behind those eyes Black house will rock Blind boys don't lie  
  
Immortal fear That voice so clear Through broken walls That scream I hear  
  
Cry little sister Come, come to your brother Unchain me sister Love is with your brother  
  
The masquerade strangers look up When will they learn This loneliness?  
  
Temptation heat Beats like a drum Deep in your veins I will not lie to little sister  
  
My shangrila I can't foget Why you were mine I need you now  
  
Cry little sister Come, Come to your brother Unchain me sister Love is with your brother  
  
"You think singing will help you block out the pain?" Deikazan laughed cruelly at the Wind Master, not sensing his ultimate purpose. Indeed, the singing and Corana had taken his mind off the torture, but it returned in full with a cruel turn of wheels and a gradual sapping of Jin's life energy. The shock made him scream out in pain.  
  
******  
"JIN!!!!" Corana yelled, feeling helpless. She raced head long down the passageway, only to be halted by yet another demon. "GODDAMMIT DO YOU FUCKERS NEVER GO AWAY!!!" She screamed in frustration.  
  
"No need to get hostile girlie." It was Illeio Kinari. His hair was blue and spiky with a red braid coming out of the base of his neck. His eyes were a dark blue and he was wearing baggy jeans with a whole in the knee and a white t-shirt with the word "crap" written on it.  
  
"Look Illeio, if you don't want to die some horribly cruel death, you'll get out of my way and let me get to my brother." Corana fumed. She sincerely had liked Illeio and didn't want to hurt him.  
  
"Your brother? The red head?" Illeio blinked. "He's a nice enough chap I guess. I thought you were here to begin the extermination of demon kind. That's what the boss said."  
  
"Illeio...Think for a moment. Why would I, a demon, want to exterminate all demons." Corana shook her head. He could be so gullible sometimes.  
  
"Hm..Good point. So what are you doing here?" He asked. "Want back in?"  
  
"No. I'm just here to get my brother and kill Deikazan for taking him in the first place." Corana sighed.  
  
"Yeah...Deikazan..really uptight fellow he is. Mind if I tag along? I always liked you better anyway." Illeio grinned.  
  
"Whatever. Let's just get moving." Corana conceded and the now four companions traveled onward.  
  
Hiei shook his head in disbelief at the fickleness of the..well whatever kind of demon. "What are you?" he asked.  
  
"Lightning, fire and dog Thank you much. What are you?"  
  
"Fire. My mother was a Koorime though." Hiei grunted.  
  
Corana looked at him sharply. That was news to her. No time to think. Here comes another demon.  
  
"Ah! Manwich!" Illeio grinned. "How's it goin?"  
  
"He's still alive?!" Corana asked in disbelief.  
  
"You wouldn't think so would you?" Illeio conceded.  
Manwich was a character to say the least. He liked to call himself the master of cross-dressing. He had long, shiny black hair topped with a tiara and pale yellow eyes. He was wearing tight black leather pants and a tight dark tank top that exposed his stomach with knee high black boots.  
  
"Gurlfrien watchu doin here? You just makin a meth for everybody." He snapped his fingers at her.  
  
Corana just shuddered and continued walking. The others followed.  
  
"Don't be ignorin me thweetheart." He took off his tiara. "Thpinning Tiara Attack!" He shouted. The Tiara sped at them like throwing stars. Corana easily deflected it with her daggers and sent it spinning right back at Manwich.  
  
"Eep! That'th no fun gurlfrien!" He shouted as he chose to bolt away.  
  
They had finally made it to the door of Deikazan's chamber. Corana kicked open the door and the four of them strode in.  
  
A/N: And now for the dramatic fight scene!! Dun Dun Dun!!! But first a word from your author. Kade thanks again for the use of your demons! They were perfect. Manwich...definetly made me laugh when I saw your description so I just had to add him in there. I wasn't brave enough to add the smothering thong of doom attack though.... * shudders at the thought* Anyways, I don't know if I'll post more tonight or not, since I basically planned out the next fight scene. I just realized I have to get Kurama past Manwich...muahahahahaha...evil comic relief on the way!!! Enjoy! Oh and the song is "Cry Little Sister" by Gerard McMann from the Lost Boys Soundtrack none of which I own. Thank you. 


	18. The Final Confrontation, Finally

~Chapter 17~  
~The Final Confrontation, Finally~  
  
A/N: Thanks to all of you who've hung on this far. Please don't completely write me off as the worst person alive after this chapter!  
  
Corana kicked open the door and the four of them strode in.  
  
"So...You made it past my demons." Deikazan sneered. "I see you've brought a few traitors with you for me to kill. Thank you for making it easier on me. Now I won't have to hunt them down." Deikazan was a tall demon. He had spiky light blue hair, dark skin and stunning green eyes. He was dressed in a brown vest that reached his knees and hung open and green pants ending in brown shoes.  
  
"Enough talk Odei. Where's Jin?" Corana demanded.  
  
Deikazan indicated the torture rack they had strapped the Wind Master to and indicated the attendants to release him. Jin's body fell motionless to the floor. Corana could detect no energy radiating from his still frame.  
  
"You bastard..." She hissed, not wanting to believe what she was seeing.  
  
"Why? You took Kami from me. Why shouldn't I take Jin from you?" Deikazan was pleased with his success.  
  
Corana ran at her former ally and punched him in the face. His face melted and he dodged and his face reformed. "Come now my old friend. I know you can do better than that."  
  
Corana threw a dagger, but again he liquefied his form and it just sailed straight through him. Then he sunk his hand into the floor and it came up behind Corana and punched her right in her injured shoulder. She cried out involuntarily from the unexpected pain.  
  
"You've gotten weak." Deikazan sneered.  
  
Corana gasped for air. "Even injured." She hissed. "And after fighting all you set before me." She took a deep breath as she stood. "I am still stronger than you and I will destroy you."  
  
Two attendants of the torture rack jumped from behind Corana and attempted to pin her to the ground. Neko jumped in to save her. He called his Spirit Wolves and they ate the souls of her attackers, but not before Deikazan had pierced Corana's stomach with a blade made from mud.  
  
Corana felt weak from loss of blood and the pain, but she rose again. She'd promised Neko she'd get the castle for him and she MUST avenge her brother. She summoned illusions of herself made from shadow and they flitted around Deikazan trying to confuse him.  
  
He just laughed as the real Corana took a swing at him with her short swords. He had a pillar of mud reach from the floor and engulf the wind demon up to her neck. She was incapable of movement. "I know these attacks Corana. It is useless to oppose me. I have spent 200 years learning how to evade every single one of your attacks." He was certain he would triumph now. Deikazan directed the mud pillar to squeeze her tighter. The pressure was forcing more blood from her wounds and inhibiting her breathing. Corana was slipping further and further from consciousness.  
  
"Did you not think that in 200 years I may learn something new you imbecile?" she grunted through her pain.  
  
She gathered what remained of her youki and created an impenetrable cyclone around Deikazan. When he tried to escape through the ground, she lifted him up into the air. Using her control over the wind, she sucked out every bit of oxygen in that small chamber. Deikazan was suffocating.  
  
"Stop....Please..." He gasped. "I surrender." His vision was blurring quickly. "Mercy."  
  
Corana let out a mirthless laugh at that point. "Those who show no mercy, receive no mercy." Was all she said as Deikazan slowly suffocated to death.  
  
**********  
Yusuke and the others ran blindly towards the door where they felt Corana's energy pulsating. They were halted however by Manwich.  
  
"Well hello there handthome." He patted Kurama on the butt and Kurama jumped in surprise. "You make an even prettier girl than me. And that'th thaying a lot. For that, you mutht die." He pulled a bobby pin out of his hair. "Bobby Pin thlice!" He cried and tried to use it as a sword against the deeply disturbed Kurama. Kurama pulled out some bamboo leaves and stabbed the Master of Cross-Dressing with them. He fell to the floor with a startled sigh and lay still.  
  
The five companions rushed in just as Corana's body was released from the mud pillar. She fell to the ground with a sickening thud and lay still next to her brother's motionless body; her blood mixing with his as it pooled from their bodies.  
  
A/N: Wow this was a lot shorter than I'd imagined it. Oh well. Hope you all don't kill me! 


	19. Recuperating

~Chapter 18~  
~Recuperating~  
  
A/N: I gotcha didn't I? Lol... you thought that was the last chapter and that I killed off both Jin and my Corana didn't cha? Well sorry, that was melodramatic and tacky. *slaps herself * bad authoress...bad! Don't freak out the readers like that! Ok I am actually really sorry about that...well at least marginally sorry anyways. On with the fic!  
  
Corana woke up to see Hiei's face blinking over her curiously. She took in the rest of her surroundings and slowly realized she was in Genkai's temple. She sat up slowly and scratched her head.  
  
"Hiei?" She was still horridly confused. "What's going on?"  
  
"Hn." He walked out of the room. "She's awake!" he called and then disappeared. Other bodies came rushing into the room. Those who had entered included Darktydes, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Arctic, Kurama, Neko and Illeio. They all started talking at once, telling her where she was and how'd she'd gotten there.  
  
"WAIT!!!!" She yelled as loudly as she could. "Where's Jin?" She demanded.  
  
"In another room." Yusuke blinked as if that were the most logical answer.  
  
"Take me to him." Corana demanded. She accepted help from Darktydes and the group made their way down the hall to Jin's room. All but Darktydes stayed outside the room to give Corana privacy.  
  
Jin was lying in a bed, pale and motionless.  
  
"Is he gonna be all right?" Corana asked Darktydes tremulously, turning her head away so she couldn't see the tears.  
  
Darktydes helped her sit next to her brother's bed. "I've been doing all I can. So have the others. He went through a lot so we'll just have to wait and see." She replied calmly.  
  
"How good of a chance does he have?" Corana demanded.  
  
"We just can't be sure right now." Darktydes shook her head.  
  
Corana nodded and took her brother's hand in her own. "Don't you dare leave me Jin." She whispered fervently and sat there staring at her brother. Everyone felt it was best if they left her alone for a while so they all left, including Darktydes.  
  
Corana stayed by Jin's side day and night. She ignored those who came in to tend him and ignored most of the food sent in. Hiei watched the interaction from a distance and found himself wishing he had a right to that kind of attention from someone. He approached Corana one day with an urgent question that he'd been putting off for days.  
  
"Corana?" he asked tentatively. "May I ask you a question?"  
  
She looked up, startled that Hiei was asking her anything. "Yeah of course." She nodded.  
  
"Well, you know Yukina?" Hiei asked. Corana nodded. "Well...she's my sister. I've put off telling her for years. I've just been watching and protecting her from a distance. She was the reason I got my Jagan eye." Corana just waited for him to continue. "Well...I haven't told her. She's been looking for me since the day I was thrown from the Isle of the Koorimes and I haven't told her yet." It felt really awkward telling her this.  
  
"Why?" Corana asked.  
  
"Well at first it was because the guy who gave me my Jagan told me that if I ever told Yukina about my relationship to her, he would have her killed. But I fought him not too long ago and he released me from that obligation if I could kill him, and I did. But I still haven't told her."  
  
"Why?" Corana prompted again.  
  
"I'm afraid she'll hate me." Hiei muttered. "I haven't had the greatest past and I'm afraid she'll hate me for the things I've done." He said in a rush.  
  
Corana smiled gently. "Hiei, it doesn't matter what kind of past you've had. Families are there to overlook it. Well, the right kind of families. Like Jin is to me y'know. Yukina's the right kind of family. I don't think anything you could have done could make her love you less."  
  
"How do I tell her?" he asked meekly.  
  
"Just tell her exactly what you told me. She's a sweet girl and will understand." Corana encouraged him.  
  
Hiei nodded and stood. "Um..Yeah. Thanks." He left the room. 


	20. Family Reunions

~Chapter 19~  
~Family Reunions~  
  
A/N: I'm on like a serious adventure high right now. It feels odd not to be writing fight scenes. Probably a sign that I wrote too many lol. Anyways, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!  
  
Corana had been secretly pumping energy into Jin when the others weren't around. They had specifically ordered her not to, because she wasn't much better off than he was. Later that day during one such energy session, Jin's eyes finally fluttered open. His cheeks had been gaining color all day and he no longer looked like he was on the brink of death.  
  
"Bloody fuck there's not a part of my body that doesn't hurt right now." He grumbled as he tried to sit up. Corana giggled and went to help him. "So what happened? How the hell did I get here? And were exactly is here?"  
  
Corana filled him in on the events of the night he'd been rescued. Some was her own account and some others had to fill in for her.  
  
"What happened to the demons with the collars?" Jin asked.  
  
"Hiei read Odei's mind and figured out how to work the collars and he took them off the other demons." Corana brightened. "Oh and speaking of Hiei." She giggled wickedly. "you know Yukina?" She asked. When Jin nodded, she continued. "Well, he's her brother. But he hasn't told her yet. He came in her not too long ago asking my advice."  
  
Jin laughed. "That'll be an amusing exchange to watch. I should give him some advice. HIEI!!!!" he started shouting. He kept shouting Hiei's name until people realized that Jin was awake and came running into the room.  
  
"How do you feel Jin?" Yusuke asked.  
  
"Like crap in a bag." He replied amiably. "Now where's that blasted fire demon. I need to give him some advice."  
  
"I'll go get him." Kurama offered.  
  
"I'll come with you." Arctic said and followed the fox out. Everyone raised an eyebrow or two at that, but thought it best not to say anything.  
  
"Now everyone out!" Corana commanded. "Jin needs his rest and this is to be a private conversation." There was some grumbling, but for the most part people left.  
  
Hiei jumped in through the window. "What do you want?"  
  
"I want to help you." Jin grinned. "I know what it's like having a sister you're afraid to disclose your relationship to."  
  
"You told him." Hiei accused Corana.  
  
"Well I thought he'd give you better advice then I could. I'm on Yukina's end, not yours." Corana shrugged.  
  
"You're advice was fine." Hiei grunted.  
  
"When are you going to tell her then?" Jin asked.  
  
"I'll tell her." Hiei replied vaguely.  
  
"No time like the present." Jin sung happily.  
  
Corana was nodding her agreement. Hiei was trapped. "Crap."  
  
Corana helped Jin stand and then took Hiei's arm in her free hand and they headed outside.  
  
"It's not necessary for you two to come with me." Hiei protested.  
  
"Oh of course not. We'll be hiding in the bushes listening." Corana grinned impishly at Hiei.  
  
"Y'know. I was just thinking there's no real reason for me to tell her at all." Hiei shrugged.  
  
"Fuckin pansy." Corana mumbled under her breath.  
  
Hiei turned to her. "What was that?"  
  
"Nothing." She replied quickly.  
  
Hiei pounced on her, leaving Jin to find a tree to support himself on.  
  
"What did you call me?" Hiei demanded.  
  
Corana was laughing to hard to respond. Hiei growled and let her up, Corana just lay on the ground laughing.  
  
"No one calls me a pansy." Hiei growled and stalked in the direction where Yukina was sitting in the garden.  
  
Corana was trying very hard to control her laughter. ~He can be so easily manipulated sometimes.~ she laughed to herself.  
  
Kurama had come up behind her. "That was mean." He chuckled. "Good. But mean."  
  
"Wanna come watch with us?" Corana offered.  
  
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Kurama accepted. "I've been trying to get him to tell her for years."  
  
They crept as silently as possible with an injured Jin to some bushes not far from where Hiei and Yukina were.  
  
"Um...Yukina..." Hiei started, his face had already turned red.  
  
"Hiei? What's wrong?" Yukina blinked innocently.  
  
"Well...I just wanted to tell you something." Hiei began. Yukina just waited. "I...I...Well, I'm your brother." He said in a rush.  
  
Yukina just blinked at him in shock. "I understand if you want nothing to do with me. I know I haven't led the greatest life, but I know you've been looking for me, and I just thought you had a right to know that you'd found me." Hiei muttered.  
  
Yukina had tears in her eyes. She jumped up and threw her arms around her brother. "Hiei! Thank you so much!" hiruseki stones were falling freely to the pavement and there were a few suspicious black ones joining Yukina's as Hiei actually returned her hug.  
  
"So you're not ashamed of me?" He asked, disbelievingly.  
  
"Hiei what are families for? Well the right kind of family anyway." Yukina chuckled.  
  
"That's what Corana said." Hiei nodded.  
  
"You mean she knew about this before I did!" Yukina said in mock anger.  
  
Hiei didn't catch the humor and thought he was really in trouble. "I just went to her for advice. You know because her and Jin kinda had a similar situation." Hiei defended himself.  
  
Yukina laughed at her brother. "I was joking Hiei."  
  
"Oh."  
"I have to go tell everyone!" Yukina giggled delightedly and, grabbing Hiei's hand, ran out of the garden, only to trip over Corana.  
  
She waved sheepishly up at them. Kurama and Jin followed suit. "Congratulations?"  
  
"I take it you three know at least." They all nodded, trying to smother smug grins. Corana jumped up and hugged Yukina.  
  
"I'm so happy for you." She whispered. "Trust me. I know how it feels." She grinned. Then she turned to Hiei.  
  
"Dammit Onna. Why are you always trying to hug me?!" Hiei protested, but eventually gave in and hugged her briefly.  
  
"Because that's what I do when I'm happy Hiei. I hug people." She grinned guilelessly. "I'm glad I made you do this."  
  
Hiei pushed her and growled. "You're really irritating sometimes."  
  
"Only when I want to be." She grinned and the three of them followed Yukina and Hiei inside.  
  
Almost everyone else had known Hiei was Yukina's sister, but they all feigned surprise and well they were all sincerely happy for the siblings. When Kuwabara saw Yukina and Hiei running up to the temple, hand in hand, with Yukina grinning from ear to ear, and Hiei with a small bemused smile on his face, he thought the worst.  
  
He ran into the temple almost in tears. "Yukina left me! For shorty!" he wailed disconsolately.  
  
Yukina burst in at that moment. "Guess what everyone! Hiei's my brother!" She grinned happily.  
  
Kuwabara immediately cheered. "Yay! Yukina! You can still be mine forever and ever!" He took her hand and then visibly paled as Hiei growled at him.  
  
Hiei punched the oaf in the face and sent him sprawling. "Hands off my sister you dolt." He grinned back at Corana. "I've been wanting to do that for YEARS." He smirked and followed Yukina further inside. 


	21. Auntie Corana

~Chapter 20~  
~Auntie Corana~  
  
A/N: Damn I'm still poundin out the chapters. I just can't stop writing this. I was in class for like four hours this afternoon and all I could think of was getting home to write the next installment of my baby! Guess what! I'm going to add romance in now! You'll see why. Well actually, Flame Fox is hounding me to do something with Arctic, so I must oblige...and well I wanted Jin to be a dad...so y'know what..he has a mate now. Actually I just got this really cute and somewhat sad idea for a chapter with babies. Babies are so cute..unless they have Jr written on their foreheads and they can talk. Then they're just annoying. The reviews I must say quite simply rock. You guys are the greatest! I just look at the amount of reviews on this thing and that's not including the ones Issa had to email me because FF.net hates her right now and I just sit at my computer and laugh so happily and a little insanely. Checked in the library between classes and was grinning so wide I'm sure people thought I was watching porn. Don't ask me where that came from. I don't know. But thanks so much!  
  
Things had settled into a comfortable rhythm. Jin was still recovering and Hiei and Yukina were reveling in their new relationship. When Jin had finally recuperated enough to return to the Makai, he took Corana aside.  
  
"Corana. I have to go back." Jin insisted.  
  
"Why? Aren't you happy here?" Corana drooped.  
  
"Of course. But well..." Jin scratched his head uncomfortably. "Well, y'know how I said one day you'll have a family and one day I'll have a family? And...well...yeah..." Jin laughed nervously.  
  
"You have a mate?" Corana blinked. Jin nodded. Corana grinned. "What's her name? Is she cute? What's she like? When can I meet her?" Jin was suddenly bombarded with questions. He smiled, happy his sister wasn't mad at him for not telling her. "Do you have any kids?" Corana asked suddenly.  
  
Jin blinked and then grinned sheepishly. "We will soon."  
  
Corana squealed in glee. "I'm going to be an auntie!!" She laughed. "Why don't you bring her here to have the baby? Just think, it's first breath will be in this wonderful air!" she grinned.  
  
Jin brightened. "Hey! Do you think it'd be ok? As long as we promised to go back afterwards?"  
  
"Let's go ask now!" Corana leapt up and dragged her brother towards the temple. "Botan! Botan!!!" She yelled. The bluette came running out, looking for the emergency. "I'm going to be an auntie!" Corana grinned.  
Botan blinked. "Wait. Jin?" Botan looked at him for confirmation, and when he nodded, Botan squealed in delight, much the same way Corana had and hugged Corana.  
  
"Can they have the baby here?" Corana asked. "Ask Koenma. They promise to go back once it's born, but this is a much nicer place than the Makai to have a baby." Corana rushed.  
  
Botan giggled and pulled out a communication mirror. "Koenma?" She called.  
  
"What is it Botan?" Koenma's face appeared on the screen.  
  
"Jin's mate is going to have a baby and we want to have it here at Genkai's temple. Can we please? Please please please please...." Corana joined in with Botan in the chorus of "pleases" and soon Koenma was rolling his eyes and trying to cover his ears.  
  
"Fine if you two will just shut up!" He finally conceded.  
  
The two girls squealed in delight. "Thank you Koenma!" And they hung up before he could respond.  
  
"Ok Jin. Go to the Makai and get your mate and bring her back here. We'll get everything ready for the baby." Corana began to shove her brother towards the door.  
  
"Right now?!" Jin yelled in disbelief.  
  
"The sooner you leave, the sooner you can return." Corana quipped. "Now go get her. I want to meet her anyways." When Jin just stood there staring dumbfounded at his sister she actually shooed him. "Now go!" She commanded. Jin just shook his head and followed orders.  
  
"Ok we have to get all the girls together and go shopping for the baby." Botan gushed. Corana nodded and they began to round up all the girls. Darktydes and Arctic had to stay behind because they couldn't disguise their appearance, but Yukina, Keiko, Botan, and Corana went skipping happily towards the mall.  
  
There was much excitement around the temple while everyone made ready for the expecting mother and the baby. The men learned to stay out of the way if they didn't want to be recruited for random tasks. The only one who seemed unbothered by all the femininity was Kuwabara, but then again, Yukina was excited and he was excited by anything that excited Yukina.  
  
A few days after they sent him off, Jin returned with his mate, Brigid. She was a wind demon like him with blonde hair and azure eyes and at the present, a bulging belly. Corana greeted her warmly, though she was a little less than thrilled to find out her mate's sister was three kinds of demon rolled into one. Corana ignored it as shyness and made a huge fuss over her new "sister" and the baby that was to be delivered soon.  
  
Over the next few days, Corana watched her brother tend to his mate with love and care and she grew just a bit jealous of his new family. It was evident that he had indeed begun a life that would not include her much anymore and she found herself wishing for a family of her own.  
  
Neko catering to Botan's every whim now wasn't helping matters. Well that and Kurama's display of interest in the kitsuna under their protection. Everyone seemed to be happy with where they were and with each other. People would pair off at the end of dinner and Corana always managed to find herself alone and brooding. She didn't like to brood. Not when the closest thing to a son or daughter she was ever likely to have was about to be delivered into the world.  
  
"You seem gloomy." Hiei muttered from behind her. "I'm the gloomy one."  
  
Corana chuckled. "Not recently. Seems we've switched roles Hiei."  
  
"Hn." Hiei smirked, but could tell something was seriously bothering her. "What's really wrong? I thought you were all excited about this baby thing."  
  
"I am." Corana sighed. "It's just I see all this going on around me. And everyone's moving on...some with each other and...I just..." she halted. "I want that for me. I want a family. Of my own." She sighed. "You're the last person I should be talking to this about. You'll just tell me that only the weak need that and blah blah blah. Well then I'm fucking weak ok?"  
  
"Now that I know how you really feel..." Hiei grumbled.  
  
"Why aren't you off with your sister?" Corana asked suddenly. That's usually where he disappeared to before finding a tree to sleep in.  
  
"Hn." Hiei glared. "She insisted on spending time with Kuwabaka."  
  
Corana smiled a little at that. "Guess you see it too then, huh?"  
  
"Hn." Hiei smirked. "I see it. It just doesn't bother me."  
  
"Must be a female thing then. Probably just my hormones going nuts with all this baby stuff going on. And the constant romance my god! Can't these people think of anything else!" She groaned.  
  
Hiei actually chuckled at her. "I think this baby thing has all the females around here in a hormonal uproar and the males are all catering to it. It's disgusting."  
  
"Yeah. Thank God YOU'RE sane. Right?" Corana grinned.  
  
"Hn."  
  
"What the hell does 'hn' mean anyway?" Corana demanded. It was really getting irritating.  
  
"Whatever the hell I want it to mean." Hiei replied. "I'm going to find a tree."  
  
"G'night." Corana waved as he took off.  
  
Three hours later, Brigid went into labor. Fifteen hours later, Corijin took his first breath. Darktydes came out of Brigid's room with a wrapped bundle.  
  
"Congratulations Jin." She grinned. "You have a son. Corana, you have a nephew." She handed the baby to Jin who looked at it in wonder.  
  
"I have a son." He grinned. "Who thought I was responsible enough to be a parent?" he laughed and handed the baby to Corana.  
  
"I have a nephew." She was crying freely. "Hello." She whispered to the baby.  
  
Everyone gathered saw the way she held the baby as if it were her own. Her very attitude suggested she would treat the child as her own as long as she could find a way to.  
  
"Jin!" Brigid spoke sharply, leaning on the door. "Why did you let her hold it?" She demanded.  
  
Corana stared wide-eyed at her brother's mate.  
  
"She's my sister Brig. She's got as much a right to hold it as I do." Jin protested.  
  
"She may take him. You told me yourself she's never been able to bear a child. He's my baby." Brigid snarled.  
  
New tears formed in Corana's eyes, this time of hurt and anger. She handed the baby back to Jin, refusing to even look at Brigid now and took off out of the temple. She'd never been so insulted in her life.  
  
"I think it's best if you go home tomorrow." Botan glared at Brigid. ~Where did this woman get off?!~ "Jin you are welcome anytime. You and your son. But you'd better leave HER at home." The others nodded. They had no connection to Brigid. And after all the fuss and work Corana had gone through for this woman she didn't even know, she had shown no gratitude towards the little demon.  
  
"You're going to stand up for a mutt like that?!" Brigid was incredulous.  
"In case you haven't noticed miss." Neko began. "I myself am a mutt. As is Illeio over there. Darktydes who tended you in labor and Arctic Fox. Corana has been nothing but kind to us ever. What right do you think YOU have to come in here and look down on her? You're on her turf sweetheart. She opened up her house to you. And you walked all over her. If you're not gone tomorrow, Illeio and I will make you leave." Neko expressed what everyone had really been feeling. "I'm sorry Jin. We all like you a lot. Maybe you should have learned of her prejudices before sealing yourself to her."  
  
Jin's ears had drooped. The two most important people in his life hated each other. Well he knew Corana would probably get over it, but he wasn't so sure about Brigid. "Don't worry. We'll be gone tomorrow." He sighed heavily. "Brigid, you should get back to bed." He said softly.  
  
"You're trying to push me aside." She accused.  
  
"Just GO to Bed!" He barked, handing her the baby. "I have to go find Corana."  
  
"Always Corana." Brigid muttered, turning.  
  
"She's my sister and she was there for me long before you were. She IS a part of my life and she WILL be a part of my life. Get used to it." Jin really wasn't going to look like a good guy no matter what way he handled the situation so he just did what he could. "Just go to bed." He said wearily.  
  
"Fine." Brigid slammed the door.  
  
Jin sighed and left the temple to go find Corana.  
  
"She's in the garden." Hiei told him, his Jagan glowing.  
  
"Thanks Hiei." Jin muttered, tiredly. He headed in the direction of the garden until he heard muffled sobs. "Corana?" He asked softly.  
  
"I'm here."  
  
"Look I'm really sorry." He started, but she shook her head.  
  
"It's not you." Corana interrupted. "The things she said were hateful and bigoted, but it's not your fault. She doesn't understand what I've been through. She doesn't know what it's like to be an outcast and sterile all for the same reason. She's got a fabulous mate, a beautiful son, and right now as perfect a life as any woman could ask for so why the hell should I have expected her to understand or even accept me?" Corana wiped her face. "I don't hold it against you and I don't hold it against her and I don't hold it against your son."  
  
"Well who do you hold it against?" Jin chuckled.  
  
"Hiei. He's easy to be angry at." Corana grinned. "I'm just kidding. I don't hold it against anyone. Maybe a little against myself and my parents to be honest, but not anyone else. I'll just smother her with kindness. Then she'll have to like me right?" Corana smiled hopefully. "I don't want to be the reason you can't have a family of your own."  
  
"You sure you'll be ok?" Jin asked.  
  
Corana nodded. "You'd better get in there before she kills everyone, or they kill her though." She chuckled. "I heard the mutt comment. I don't think Neko's too happy about that."  
  
"Good point. But I don't think she's too happy with me right now anyway." Jin grinned sheepishly. "I did yell at her a bit."  
  
"That makes me feel better." Corana grinned ruefully. "Just go. I've been watching you two. I don't think she'll stay angry at you for very long. You're too cute." She giggled.  
  
Jin got up and left.  
  
The next morning, Jin, Brigid and Corijin were packed up and ready to head home. Corana came flying in to say goodbye. She gave Jin a big hug. "Come back soon big brother." She murmured in his ear. She kissed Corijin on the forehead. "I'm sure we'll meet again." She grinned at his sleeping face and then, to everyone's surprise, hugged Brigid. "I'm going to make you like me no matter what." Corana grinned at her shocked face. "Just keep one thing in mind on the way home. I want to give you something to think about. You wouldn't have a mate if I hadn't gone in there and brought him back. Have a safe trip." The three departed, Jin shaking his head at Corana's dig at his mate. She couldn't resist he knew. ~Man she can be a bitch.~ he chuckled inwardly as they slipped through into the Makai.  
  
A/N: Damn...Pretty long chapter! And no it's not the last! After all, I promised more romance. My fingers hurt so I'll make the ending notes short. Flame Fox, the email address you sent me is not working. Just email me at jaffj83@yahoo.com from your email. Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! You kinda get to see a new side of Corana. One I knew was there all along, but then I created her. Hope you like it! 


	22. What's That Scent?

~Chapter 21~  
~What's That Scent?~  
  
A/N: Ok Flame Fox, I'm sorry if I didn't use Sapphire exactly correctly according to your friend. I did the best I could with what you gave me so if she tries to yell at me I'll just blame it on you k? ;) lol. I'm just kiddin...Anyways, well on with the fic. The posts will get fewer and further between. Sorry you people who are waiting avidly for my next installment. (Yeah like any of you actually like this crap...ya'll just bein nice right? Lol) I'm just trying to tie up the loose ends here so I can get on with the sequel. This will not be an overly romantic chapter...actually it may seem strange to a few people...and I have to increase the rating now. Sorry if you can't read anything above PG 13.  
  
Eventually everyone had to move on with their lives. Illeio and Darktydes departed for Neko's castle shortly after Jin had left. When Botan was called back to Koenma's side and Kurama had to get back to his human life, Arctic Fox and Neko also departed for his castle. They had decided to open a training school, where for some form of payment, mixed demons could learn to control their combined heritage.  
  
Corana returned to her apartment in the city and took up a directionless existence working at a convenience store full time and heading out to the temple on weekends to meet with the gang for sparring matches and picnics and the like.  
  
It was on one such visit that Corana's life took a dramatic turn.  
  
Kuwabara, Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, Yukina, Keiko, and Corana had all gathered for another picnic. An unexpected thunderstorm however, had them quarantined inside. They made a picnic on the floor and chatted amiably for some time.  
  
Kurama's nose started twitching and Corana looked curiously at the kitsune. When it continued to twitch, Corana sniffed the air as well. There was a peculiar scent lingering in the air. Corana was having difficulty placing it, as was Kurama it appeared. The Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Keiko were oblivious and Yukina was being kept busy by Kuwabara's continued attention, so they had no one to confirm the suspicion but Hiei.  
  
"Hiei?" Corana spoke softly. "Do you smell something?"  
  
"Hn." He replied and opening the door, exited into the rain.  
  
Corana looked questioningly at Kurama. The scent had faded upon Hiei's exit, but the lingering smell was starting to stir Corana's hormones. Hiei was in heat. She suddenly felt herself needing to get out of the room. The smell was driving her crazy now that she knew its source. She got up and swiftly exited the building, running out into the driving rain. She breathed deeply of what she hoped would be clean air. She hoped the rain would have washed it away. Apparently, exiting the same way as Hiei had not been an intelligent idea. She sniffed the air and went in the direction where the scent was weakest and soon the rain and the fresh air had driven it from her lungs. Of course, now she was soaked to the bone and had no choice but to stand out in the rain until the scent in the temple had dissipated. The wind had picked up and her wet hair was plastered to her face, getting in her eyes and blurring her vision. Thoughts of Hiei's scent were driven from her mind as she started trying a semi dry place to wait out the storm.  
  
Corana remembered a gazebo not far from the swamps and she headed in that direction, hoping the small wooden structure would offer sufficient protection from the storm. She got there and remembered why she'd been avoiding traveling in that direction. Hiei had chosen that spot as a place to wait out the storm as well, and he was pacing restlessly back and forth in the gazebo. The scent of his heat was strong now and Corana was losing her ability to think straight.  
  
Hiei spotted her and blinked in surprise, his agitated pacing stopped.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come here." Corana shouted through the rain and turned to walk away again.  
  
"No." Hiei shook his head and sighed weakly. "You don't have to go." Corana stepped warily into the gazebo. His scent seemed to be captured by the rain to fill the building. It radiated with heat. "I can control myself." He muttered. "I just didn't want Yukina to see me like this."  
  
"I'm sure you can Hiei." Corana swallowed convulsively. "I'm just not so sure I can control MYself." She turned to leave when he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.  
  
Hiei sniffed deeply. "You are too." He said simply.  
  
"If I am it's your fault." She grumbled. "I wasn't due for another week or so."  
  
"Why shouldn't we?" Hiei shrugged. Corana just blinked at him in shock. "I mean I'm sterile...You're sterile...it wouldn't have any repercussions." His breath had quickened at the thought.  
  
"Children aren't the only repercussions Hiei." Corana shook her head.  
  
"Why not?" Hiei pressed. "You don't get attached easily. I've never been attached. We can continue as we always have. Exchanging the occasional insult." He smirked at her.  
  
Corana knew he was right so when lips pressed to hers, she didn't resist, but gave herself up willingly to their mutual need. ~After all, he's not bad looking.~ she decided. ~I won't have to gouge my eyes out later.~ Indeed she'd had much worse lovers, of course, that could be the hormones talking as well. Flames seemed to sprout from every place their skin made contact.  
  
Their need finally satiated, Corana and Hiei dressed swiftly. The storm had ended and soon someone would think to come looking for them. Corana was leaving the gazebo when Hiei spoke. "Umm...Thanks." He was a bit embarrassed.  
  
Corana shrugged. "Last I checked I enjoyed that as much as you seemed to." She gave him a lopsided grin and headed back to the temple, stopping at the now swelling creek to rinse off the last traces of the scent of their lust. Kurama would probably still smell it, but at least the others wouldn't notice.  
  
"Where'd you go?" Yusuke asked.  
  
"I like the rain." Corana replied cryptically.  
  
Kurama smiled politely at her with a wicked gleam in his eyes. Corana just stuck out her tongue at him and sat down with the others to join their card game.  
  
Three days later, Corana woke up to hug the toilet bowl for a good hour before going to work. ~Hmm...must've eaten some bad sushi.~ She decided and ate some crackers and continued on with her day. The same occurrence happened all week long. Corana was a little confused and a little nervous. She decided to talk to Yukina when she got to the temple on Saturday morning. She knew about healing, maybe she'd gotten a stomach bug.  
  
"Umm... Yukina. Can I talk to you?" Corana asked quietly.  
  
"Of course. What's wrong?" Yukina asked as they stepped into a separate room.  
  
"Well I've been throwing up a lot recently and I was wondering if you could help me figure out what's wrong." Corana mumbled nervously.  
  
Yukina nodded and then set to work examining Corana. She gasped in surprise after a few moments.  
  
"I think I've found the problem." She said with a small smile.  
  
"What?" Corana demanded.  
  
"You're pregnant." Yukina stated simply.  
  
"I'm what?" Corana blinked. "That's not possible."  
  
"But you are. You have two spirit energies radiating from your body right now. One is very weak however. That's the baby." Yukina grinned.  
  
"I've never been able to get pregnant." Corana blinked. "I thought I was sterile."  
  
"Well, with your ridiculously mixed breeding, it's no surprise." Yukina nodded. "However, you must have mated with someone recently that had the right combination himself that allowed you to conceive." Yukina explained.  
  
~Hiei.~ Corana sighed a little sadly. ~What will he do?~ She immediately thought of the best course of action. "Yukina. I have to go home. Don't tell anyone about this. Just tell them I'm not feeling well. Whatever. Just don't tell them about the baby." Corana told her urgently. She would go home, pack her things and return to the Makai. Hiei couldn't know. They'd only done that because they thought there would be no repercussions. He couldn't feel obligated to her and she didn't want to feel obligated to him.  
  
"Bye guys." She waved hurriedly as she rushed out the door and took flight.  
  
Hiei stopped her before she could leave the temple grounds. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"Hn." Corana replied with a small smirk.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, irritated.  
  
"Whatever the hell I want it to mean." Corana replied and she sped off towards her apartment. "And if you try to read my mind, I'll beat you severely!" She yelled as she flew away, hurriedly erecting a barrier against his Jagan.  
  
She packed her bags and flew to the nearest entrance into the Makai. The others burst into her apartment hours later only to find it empty. "She's gone back." Kurama stated simply.  
  
Nine months later, Corana gave birth to a healthy girl with spiky black hair and large blue eyes and a Jagan that she somehow inherited from her father. Corana named her Hikina.  
  
~The End~  
  
A/N: Ok that's it for this Fic! Keep your eyes peeled for a sequel occurring about 14 years later with the chilluns. Hope you enjoyed it. And Flame Fox...I WILL get to Arctic I promise...but I think 21 chapters is enough for one fic. We'll find out more about them in the sequel. Winds and Shadows 2...the search for more treasure. Sorry..that was a Mel Brooks moment. Thanks for all of your help people! I will start the sequel soon! 


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